The Tank
by RebukeX7
Summary: A/U. Vindictus/Mabinogi crossover. Video-game fic. They say a good defense is the best offense. This is a lesson Jaune's eldest sister beat into him upon discovering impending enrollment into Beacon. Through sweat, blood-a lot of his blood-and tears she managed to make sure he was strong enough to at least last a day. Watch as Jaune learns to fulfill his role as the tank. Jaune/?
1. level 0 (Betaed)

**Disclaimer: I don't own RWBY or Vindictus/Mabinogi unfortunately.**

 **READ Before I start let me explain something important that i've noticed: Fiona, Arisha, and Delia (Jaune's sisters) are NOT OCs. They are Vindictus characters. Like you can google and find pictures and gameplay of them specifically. I'll even help those of you who are curious out.**

 **Fiona: Youtube the video titled "My Fiona killing Kakrish with the new Ultimate skill-Crushing Assault" (Please not that this is NOT my Fiona either)**

 **Arisha: Youtube "Mabinogi Heroes (Vindictus)- Arisha Gameplay- Skills Showcase (No UI)-Test Server-KR"**

 **Delia: Youtube "Mabinogi Heroes Delia Final Trailer"**

 **Rebuff here, taking over another one of Rebuke's old stories till het gets back. Decided to do a bit of cleaning up on this story. Fix some continuity errors-that sort of thing. Unlike the last story I took over, don't expect too much of a dramatic change from the original until-of course-I start making chapters of my own.**

 **Betaed by: The Undying Will**

 **{** **Beta's Notes** **: There was not much to edit in this actually (I've already edited the original story back when Reb sent it to me a few months ago) but it's all good.}**

 **Featured BGMs:**

 _ **Ingkells (Extended)- Vindictus OST**_

 _ **Rie Tanaka-Eternal -Mabinogi OST**_

 **Level 0: The Tank**

 **-Over A hundred Years Ago-**

 _It had been fifteen years since the end of the Great War and the Arch Patriarch was now lying on a hospital bed. He had shown up to help end the fierce struggle. His mysterious appearance along with that of a mysterious abandoned continent had surprised everyone, it was as if he were flung from another world but still helped fight. He was an unusual fighter, skilled with his sword and shield which had become known as Crocea Mors. Though he showed up as a young boy he seemed to age at an unnatural rate and within mere months he had the physique of a twenty-five year old._

 _This had confused many, and doctors had proclaimed it was a rare disorder. The Arc Patriarch shook his head, if they knew the truth this entire world would turn upside down. He glanced to the side and saw his son looking down at him with tears in his eyes._

" _Dad…"_

" _Listen my boy, that last Grimm hunt took a lot out of me. I know I don't look it, by I am a very old man. I'm tired and it's time for me to return home."_

" _Home?" The boy questioned in confusion._

" _Listen to me my son. This is my last demand, under no circumstances must you or any of your descendants unlock their Aura." The man said seriously. "Who knows what terrors will befall this world if that happens. There is a goddess out there, Morrighan, she is a benevolent deity but only to my people–our people. If she comes here, this world would truly turn to dust."_

" _We can fight her!"_

" _You'll die!" The man snapped making his son flinch, never had he seen the man resemble anything similar to fear like he was now. "She's been looking for me for years now and I fear she is slowly coming to this world. I had found out some things about her when I researched an abandoned continent in my world, the things I found…let's say there was a reason I brought it with me. On top of all that, people here are finally getting suspicious about my strange aging. It's time for me to go home son. Take my blade and end me."_

" _W-what, no it doesn't have to be this way!" The boy shouted as tears fell from his eyes._

" _It does! Do not cry my child, death is a mere inconvenience for my people. But for humans it is the absolute end. This world shall not suffer because I stood up for what I believed was right. I'm asking you to be a hero boy. End me and save billions of lives and make sure, under no circumstances that our bloodline activates their aura even if the family name has to end with you. I know it's an unfair sacrifice, but it's for the greater good!"_

 _Not trusting his voice, the boy nodded as he picked up his father's legendary blade. Tears nearly blinded him as he brought the blade down swiftly._

 _ ***SCHTICK!***_

" _T-that's my boy…" The man gasped out with a smile as his body dissolved into particles of white light. The boy fell to his knees as his father's presence vanished form Remnant._

 **~Present Day~**

 **-A small Town by the eastern border of Vale-**

One month.

31 days.

That was when Jaune Arc would begin his new life at Beacon. To say his family was surprised would be an understatement. His four sisters that had still lived with him had openly gaped at him when he showed them his acceptance letter, and his mother had completely broken down in tears. Part of him felt guilty about accepting the praise when he had actually lied his way into the prestigious academy.

That guilt, however, had completely disappeared when he saw the look of pride that his father had shown him. Jaune was never a stellar combatant and despite the long line of heroes in his family, Jaune's father had never looked down upon him. The Arc patriarch just said that Jaune was not meant for combat and that he would support his son in whatever he decided to do with his life.

However, Jaune _wanted_ to be a hunter, a hero, and figured he would learn how to live up to his family name by entering Beacon. Surely the teachers there didn't expect him to be a powerful hunter on day one and would take time to teach Jaune his flaws.

Later he would laugh at his naivety.

One month until his life changed forever.

It was with that thought that Jaune got up from his bed with a smile sure that nothing could ruin his good mood. Jaune put on his usual pair of jeans and his favorite hoody before slipping on his sneakers and made his way down to the kitchen.

"Jaune, my boy, come here! I have a present for you!" Jaune's father called out and the young blond walked into his living room to find his father grinning at him as pieces of white armor lay on the floor. "In honor of your acceptance, I bought you some armor.

"Dad, you shouldn't have." Jaune said in surprise, his father usually wasn't one to give gifts unless it was a holiday or something.

"Nonsense! Can't have my only son getting mauled by Grimm, can I?" Jaune's father questioned rhetorically, before stepping to the side and revealing a sword in a white scabbard. Jaune blinked in confusion at the weapon, he could have sworn he had seen it somewhere before. Glancing at the fireplace his eyes widened in shock as he realized the rusty shield that had always hung over it was missing.

"No way, is that–"

"Yup! The Arc family sword, Crocea Mors! I figured I would get it cleaned up for you, now that there is a reason to use it. Come on try out your gifts!" The Arc Patriarch said with a booming laughter as Jaune felt his guilt coming back. He nearly broke out in tears at his father's gesture before shaking his head and nodding with a determined expression. It took a moment for Jaune to clip his armor on before picking up the blade.

" _Wow, this thing definitely has some weight."_ Jaune thought in surprise as he held the blade.

"Oh and one more surprise!" Jaune's father said as his mother walked in to the room with a bright smile.

"Huh, what is it?" Jaune asked in confusion as he watched his mother wipe tears of joy form her eyes.

"Fiona came home to see you off!" Jaune's mother said happily.

…And just like that Jaune's good mood vanished.

"What?" Jaune asked blankly as his face went white. Terror struck his heart as his father wrapped an armor around his wife and nodded with a smile. Mistaking his terror for sadness, Jaune's father nodded his head sadly.

"Yes sadly according to Fiona, the other two couldn't make it but she says they send their regards."

Bull.

Shit.

He knew for a _fact_ that one of his older sisters in particular would _kill_ him if she found out that he was trying to be a hunter. Fiona more than likely got the letter and kept it to herself if anything, knowing how volatile _**she**_ could be.

Let's explain.

Out of the three sisters that no longer lived with them, there was first Fiona. She was the oldest, the most normal–in Jaune's opinion–and practically a second mother to the others. That said, as long as he had lived with her, Jaune could never get a thing past her. It was as if she had a sixth sense for when he did something stupid, which is why he assumed she was coming to see him personally.

After her there was (Jaune shuddered) the _**demon**_.

Arisha _fucking_ Arc.

The only Arc to be legitimately trained by their father, the one meant to continue the legacy of the family while he replaced his father as the patriarch. The family's protector, the girl that had a legitimate body count before hitting puberty. Don't get Jaune wrong he loved her, she was his sister but to quote him…

…the bitch was crazy.

Or more accurately she was an _Arc._ She didn't hate Jaune, on the contrary, she adored him. The issue was that she took being over-protective to an entirely new level. He couldn't prove it, but he was positive she was the reason the girls he was interested in ended up moving. Jaune was weak, he knew it, they all did. So in her mind a partner for him had to be able to protect him.

 _ **[If they can't make me bleed, they don't get your seed.]**_

Yes. That was something she actually told him when he was the ripe old age of ten after beating a girl he liked into submission. She even smiled at him as blood that didn't belong to her dripped from her fists. So the fact that he wasn't crippled at the moment was proof that Fiona kept the news of his impending departure to herself. He didn't care how far away Arisha was, if she heard she would have been here a week ago.

Lastly there was his twin sister Delia. The fact he had his limbs intact was also proof she hadn't heard either. Like Arisha, she was devoted to the family but where Arisha was still humble, Delia was prideful to a fault. Their Dad always said if you wanted to boast about the family name, you needed to pick up a sword. So she did, a sword bigger than herself. She talked the talk and walked the walk. She hated any type of weakness from any Arc, but she turned a blind eye to his.

And in this laid his problem with her.

He loved her, she was his sister and his twin at that! The problem was that the feeling wasn't exactly mutual. She didn't hate him, oh no, in fact he wish she did. His problem with her was that her love for him was definitely _not_ what nature intended. She had dreams of being the family matriarch, marriage to others was not an option. She wanted to live and die an Arc.

She wanted _him._

Truth be told, this idea of running away to Beacon was inspired by her. She ran away one day–an idea she got from Fiona whom had done the same–to escape Arisha and when she came back year later…well let's say she and Arisha butted heads.

 _ **[Can't make you bleed? Oh, its time you got a bit more familiar with your own blood bitch]**_

Jaune still remembered the fight, it lasted an entire day and he was positive that someone was going to die. If it wasn't for Fiona stepping in–once more returning home after hearing about the stupidity of her siblings…

…she had a sixth sense, Jaune just _knew_ it!

She proceeded to put them both in the dirt for scaring their younger siblings. The two haven't fought after that, at least as far as Jaune knew, but to his surprise Arisha had no longer fretted over Delia.

"We mailed them about your acceptance and Fiona took the first ferry back from Rocheste to come spend your last few weeks here to see you off."

"Oh dear God why?" Jaune whispered in terror as a woman a bit taller than him stepped in to the room with a smirk. She had long blonde hair, tanned skin, and bright blue eyes that threatened to pierce his very soul. She wore a simple pair of jeans and a yellow blouse.

"What's the matter little brother? Aren't you glad to see me?" The woman asked curiously making him shudder involuntarily.

"H-h-hi Fifi…" Jaune stuttered out as her smirk grew. Yes, this was a woman that terrified our young hero to no end. As the oldest Arc and female she, unlike our hero, had expectations. Their mother wanted to groom her into what she believed to be the perfect woman. A good cooker, cleaner, etc. Things that would make her the perfect housewife.

Fiona, however, had other plans.

Like Jaune, if not more so, she had the drive for combat. Unlike Jaune, however, she succeeded. Fed up with their mother's pampering, she chopped down a tree and made a wooden sword and shield. After that she did a few odd jobs around town to afford a ferry ticket to Cohlen. Cohlen was virtually on the other side of the planet in a continent that few ventured to and was not technologically advanced so there was no airship support. There was, however, a mercenary outpost–The Crimson Blades.

The Crimson Blades were known for their virtually zero percent failure rate and their acceptance of any potential mercenary no matter what age, race, gender, or sexual orientation. If you showed promise, you were in. Fiona had shown up with her wooden sword and shield one day and got through their training site.

The Arc family had no idea what happened to the young woman after that or the other two sisters whom joined her later but mere months later Fiona had become Captain of the Royal army, after an apparent war she had become Supreme Commander and was later given the title of Godslayer for reasons she felt unnecessary to disclose.

All of this plus the fact that she had an uncanny ability to sense Jaune's bullshit made him very terrified to be in her presence.

"So Jaune, I heard you got accepted into Beacon." Fiona said with a smile and Jaune nodded, not trusting his voice. "You must have really gotten stronger since I left. Mom, Dad, mind if we go out and spar for a bit-just to bond of course."

"Haha! You two never change! You always did rough-house when you were kids!" Their father laughed as Jaune seemed to momentarily suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Rough house his ass, before she matured, Fiona was a straight up bully.

"Don't be too rough you two, Fiona just got back." Their mother said with a small pout making Fiona laugh.

"Don't worry Mom, I'm just spending some quality time with my little brother." Fiona said as she wrapped an arm around Jaune. He whimpered as her limb tightened greatly. "Right?"

"R-right…"

 **-Forest Clearing: 30 minutes later-**

Fiona stretched as she and Jaune stood alone in a clearing.

"Before we begin, mind telling me how you snuck your way into Beacon? Less bruises for honesty." Fiona said nonchalantly making Jaune shudder.

"I-I got my hands on some fake transcripts." Jaune said as he shut his eyes, not wanting to see her explode.

…

…

"Well damn, good job. You didn't have to suffer splinters and a week-long boat ride." Fiona said sounding slightly impressed making him look at her incredulously. "What? I am mad you're endangering yourself but I'm no hypocrite. I completely understand why you did it."

"R-really?" Jaune asked incredulously.

"Of course, you're an Arc battle is in your blood even if you are ill-prepared." Fiona shrugged. "Now pull out Crocea Mors, I want to see if it really is as strong as the stories say." Fiona ordered as she drew her own blade as her shield rested on her left arm. Jaune did as ordered, not wanting to test his luck. He blinked in confusion as he looked at her weapons.

"What are those by the way?"

"Hmm? Oh just my Noblesse Longsword & shield not my best weapons but those are being upgraded at the moment. Made them from the remains of some pretty insanely powerful enemies. Fun fact, there are monster besides Grimm out there at least on the continent I live on anyway." Fiona said as she shrugged.

"I-I see." Jaune said as sweat slid down his face. _"This woman is a monster."_

"Oh man up, I'm not even wearing my actual armor-not that I ever really need it-we're just going to spar." Fiona said as she rolled her eyes.

"But why? We already know you're stronger!" Jaune shouted in fear making her roll her eyes.

"Tell me, do you want to be a hero?" Fiona questioned suddenly making him nod.

"Yes."

"No you don't." Fiona deadpanned. "You like the idea of being a hero, but the reality is far more than you can handle." Fiona said as she unbuttoned her blouse. Jaune was confused before he paled at the faint scars that littered her torso. Many of them ran deep, to the point he wondered if she had been disemboweled. "During the time I was gone I became a hero. Know what else? I went through literal hell. I was in over my head and I realized it quick. I thought I wanted to be a hero, I was wrong a few months in my new dream was to simply live." Jaune looked at his older sister in horror. "If our sisters hadn't shown up and joined me I would not be here right now."

"Then why didn't you just come back home, why do that to yourself!?"

"I made friends my first day over there, a group of new strange mercenaries from all walks of life. They needed me, depended on me, and I couldn't leave them behind. I had to adapt to the cruelty of reality, I had to cut down all those who stood in our way. I was manipulated into killing comrades all because of a goddess who has forsaken us all." Fiona said as her eyes glistened with unshed tears that refused to fall.

"Fiona–"

"Listen to me Jaune, there is one thing you must remember about this world. There are two types of people when faced with the horrors of our reality. There are those who are crushed by it, and there are those like us, like all Arcs." Fiona said seriously. "We become who we are meant to be."

"I see…Listen Fiona, I can't even imagine what it is you've been through. But I want to be a hero, I can feel it in my heart. I know I'm weak but it's who I was meant to be!" Jaune said passionately as her eyes narrowed.

"I know. I can't change your mind no matter what, but I can at least prevent your dumbass from coming home in a body bag." Fiona said with small smirk. "One month, in one month I'll teach you everything I've learnt in my travels. It's not much, especially with how advanced everything is on this side of the globe–but it's enough. You can build from it once you get to Beacon. Raise your shield. I'll teach you blocking the first week and swordsmanship the second and finally some good tactics for our remaining time."

"Uh sis? Teaching me anything combat related in a month is a pipe dream." Jaune said nervously making her shake her head.

"You really need confidence Jaune, didn't Dad tell you? Ladies love it." Fiona teased. "Besides I'm about to give you hell training. Now raise your shield, blocking is the single most important part of your fighting style!" Fiona shouted as she ran forward with her blade held high. Jaune paled as she brought her powerful blade down on him and clumsily raised his shield.

 _ ***KRANG!***_

"Kyaaa!" Jaune screeched as he was forced to his knees. Fiona blinked at the sound of his scream and was going to tease him about it when she felt a small pain in her wrist.

" _Unbelievable, this would have damaged any of my opponent's defenses if not shatter them. Crocea Mors isn't even scratched…just how strong is that old shield anyway!?"_ Fiona wondered incredulously before a smirk graced her lips. "Not bad Jauney looks like I won't have to worry about breaking the family heirloom, no need to go easy!"

" _I should have quit."_ Jaune thought as hindsight hit him with the force of an Ursa. Perhaps he could have been a professional dancer instead.

 **-One month later-**

"Come on you're better than that!" Fiona shouted as she brought her blade down on her brother whom quickly rose his shield at the perfect moment causing blue sparks to erupt from his shield. Fiona grinned as her sword bounced off of the blade as Jaune stepped forward and slammed his shield into her.

 _ ***Krang!***_

 _ ***Krang!***_

 _ ***Krang!***_

Fiona winced as the shield bashed her three times before she was sent sliding back, her sheer endurance forcing her to stay on her feet which dug deeply into the ground.

"Nice counter attack." Fiona said as she wiped some blood from her lip. "If I was anyone else that would have either finished me or sent me crashing across the ground.

"Well I did learn from the best." Jaune said with a shy smile as he kept his shield in front of him. He had learned long ago not to let his guard down around his sister.

"Damn straight." Fiona agreed before she dashed forward. Jaune narrowed his eyes as he did the same and just before they met in the center of the clearing, they both spun around to build momentum before releasing a devastating kick towards each other.

 _ ***BOOOOOOOM!***_

The ground beneath them shattered from the force of the two absurdly powerful kicks. They gritted their teeth in pain before they were both sent sliding back from each other. Tearing up the ground as their heels dug deep into it.

"Heh, you even mastered my Amaranth kick, and your standing endurance is just a little lower than mine." Fiona muttered before a bright smile illuminated her face. "Enough, we're done. We've been grinding for a month straight, you can now at least survive for a bit in Rocheste."

"A bit!?" Jaune interrupted incredulously. "Where the hell are you living sis!?" Jaune questioned in morbid fascination making her wave him off.

"Tell you what, find at least three companions you would die for, learn a little more from Beacon and you and I will tackle the infamous Twilight Desert together one day. Do well enough and I'll find you a good position in the army. I might even let you assassinate Riordan for your first mission."

"I'd do that even if I wasn't part of your army." Jaune muttered with a slight eye-twitch. He, of course, had never met the douchebag named Riordan but from his sister's stories he was due for a nice beating. She may have terrified him, but no one gets away with treating his siblings like trash!

That's just how the Arcs rolled.

Turning his shield back into a sheath, once again ignoring his sister's complaints about their father playing favorites, he sheathed his sword and looked at her with a smile.

"Thanks Fifi, for everything. I know we didn't get along as kids but I appreciate you preventing me from getting myself killed."

"Don't mention it Jauney. I may not like you all the time, but I've always loved you. Here, I have a present for you." Fiona said as she handed him an old looking book. Jaune blinked in confusion as he grabbed it.

 **+1 Paladin's Diary Obtained!**

"What's this, sis?"

"It's called the Paladin's Diary. Read it when you get the chance. Who knows maybe one day I'll be able to go all out against you. It's been awhile since I've had a good fight." Fiona told him with a wink. "Think of it as my send-off present, I have to head back to the ferry soon, my friends and our sisters still need me–" Fiona was cut off as strong arms embraced her as her brother buried his head into her neck. She patted his back comfortingly as she felt her shoulder become wet with his tears.

"Thank you for everything Fiona, words can't describe how much this means to me."

"Now, now, don't punk out on me now little bro. Where's the man that just parried my kick at?" Fiona asked good-naturedly.

"Sorry, just don't be a stranger and take care of yourself. Also, would it kill you to visit or call once in a while?" Jaune asked with a mock glare making her roll her eyes.

"Sorry work caught up with me, mom forced me to get one of those scroll things last night so at the least I'll keep in touch." Fiona said as she pulled out a piece of paper. "Beacon is supposed to supply you with one so here's my number, call me when you get settled in. She also gave me two more for the others." Fiona said making him pale. "Don't worry, I won't tell them a thing." Fiona said with a laugh at the look of pure unadulterated terror that was on his face.

"Will do!" Jaune said with a smile.

"Good, now hurry off Dad's waiting to take you to the airship." Jaune nodded and walked off towards the house as Fiona began to leave the clearing. Neither sibling noticed a middle-aged blonde man grinning at the scene.

" _I have the greatest kids ever. Wonder what will become of the others."_

 **-Two Hours Later-**

Hell.

That was where one Jaune Arc believed he was as he struggled to stand straight on the airship as his stomach flipped.

" _I…I can't hold it in anymore!"_ Jaune thought in horror as his lunch forced itself from his mouth.

"Guess, the view isn't for everyone."

"It was a nice view while it lasted." Jaune heard as he stumbled through the ship.

 **Title Received: Vomit Boy!**

" _Ugh…perfect start."_

"My shoes!"

 **-45 minutes later-**

Jaune had been on Beacon's campus for all of a good fifteen minutes and knew already that he owed his sister a life-debt. The sight of a fifteen year old girl exploding was his first hint, but seeing that said girl had the most bullshit weapon he had ever seen was what had told him that he would have gotten destroyed.

"A scythe. That turns into a high-impact sniper rifle." Jaune deadpanned for the fifth time as the girl glanced at her weapon awkwardly.

"Oh come on, it's not that over-the-top!"

Jaune just stared.

"This… _this_ is a weapon. A bit old fashioned I'll admit, but it gets the job done." Jaune said as he held up Crocea Mors before pointing at Crescent Rose. "Just a regular sword and board _…That_. That…thing… should be illegal." Jaune shuddered as he thought about the stories Fiona had told him about her friend Evie who like to use a scythe from time to time. "Do you have any idea how fast you have to be to actually use something like that?" Jaune asked incredulously.

He had known her for all of five minutes but knew she was a good huntress, only being fifteen she was obviously a prodigy. He'd have to see her in action but she seemed to be a good candidate for his "Party" as his sister called it.

Ruby's sudden smirk unnerved our young hero to no end.

"Luckily for me then, my semblance is speed!" Ruby said sounding proud as Jaune looked at his first friend at this insane school in confusion.

"Semblance…?"

Now Ruby was the one to look at him in confusion as they continued walking.

"Yeah you know the–wait where are we going?" Ruby asked suddenly making Jaune blink in confusion.

"No idea, I was following you!"

…

…

…

"Think there's a directory?" Jaune finally asked as the two awkward teens stood alone on the campus.

 **-30 minutes later-**

Jaune stood around awkwardly after his shorter companion ditched him to go speak to her sister. He sighed and decided to look around for more candidates that could be in his party. He idly noted his young companion had found herself in an argument with some beautiful white haired girl. He could practically feel the nobility running off her, she reminded him a bit of Delia when she interacted with anyone that wasn't him. Part of him wanted to go help Ruby out but growing up with seven sisters taught him not to get involved with fights between two women.

He sent out a silent prayer for Ruby.

"–And talk about cute boys like tall, blond, and scraggily over there!" The White haired girl said as she pointed at Jaune suddenly.

" _Huh, guess Dad was right about Arc's being noticed by all ladies."_ Jaune mused. He was going to go over and speak when the headmaster began a quick speech which quickly caught his attention. When the speech was over Jaune threw his two cents in on the girl's argument. "I am a natural blond by the way." Jaune piped up as he walked passed the white-haired girl.

 **-That Night-**

" _Still no luck on creating a party, this was harder than sis said."_ Jaune thought as he went through his bags to find his onesie. He paled when he saw a note from his sister next to a mysterious package.

 _Dear Jauney,_

 _I had a feeling you listened to Dad about those terrible pajamas and burned them. Luckily for you I had the_ foresight _to buy you some inner armor before I departed! Hope you're enjoying Beacon, I know you'll make us proud._

 _With Love,_

 _Fifi_

" _Oh no."_ Jaune thought in horror as he reread the words inner armor. He had destroyed his sister's clothes in a fight once and what he saw under it still made a chill go down his spine. There is some things a man should never know about his older sister.

Like how she looks in a thong.

" _Please be modest, please be modest, please be modest!"_ Was Jaune's mantra as he opened the package slowly.

 **-With Ruby-**

"I don't think Dad would approve of all the boys though." Ruby told her sister whom smirked.

"I know I do–"

"…Yang?" Ruby asked her sister whom was gaping at something behind them, glancing back she felt her jaw drop as she saw her red-faced friend shaking his head as he looked for a place to sleep. Instead of his favorite set of pajamas, his sister left him with a single pair of black shorts which had the Arc symbol embroidered on the left leg in gold. Even if she decided to become a hero, his sister still knew her way around a needle and thread.

Still they were a little too tight in some areas for comfort.

Jaune blinked as he felt eyes on him and turned to see the entirety of the room's females staring at him. Jaune scratched behind his head nervously before spotting Ruby. Jaune gave the girl a wink and a two-finger salute in acknowledgement before continuing his epic quest to find a bed.

"…"

"…"

"You know you've made some good friends Ruby." Yang said suddenly as she watch the young knight walk away. Or more accurately she stared at his backside and her pulse quickened with every step he took. "Think you can get me his number–" Yang was cut off thanks to a pillow to the face courtesy of a blushing Ruby.

 **-The next Day: Beacon Locker room-**

" _It's been a day and I still haven't gotten one party member!"_ Jaune thought incredulously as he looked around for at least one person that would eventually be willing to die for him. It was a morbid way to put it, but like his sister said it was better to call the situation for what it was. Party members could be as close as family after a while but it all starts with trying to find someone to take a mortal blow for you. He blinked when he saw the white-haired girl from yesterday talking to a red-head that seemed strangely familiar to him.

" _Well she did say I was cute, maybe I can get her to fight with me. Remember what Dad and Fiona said, I need confidence."_ Jaune mused as he approached her. "Hey I couldn't help notice you talking about me yesterday, tell you what if you want I'll let you be a part of my team." Jaune said with a charming smile as the girl face-palmed.

"Oh no, not you." The girl muttered as the red-head cleared her throat.

"Actually the teams are comprised of four students each so–"

"Oh that's right, how about you join as well. You look like you could handle yourself." Jaune said with a smile.

Oh he had no idea.

Before she could respond the white-haired girl stood in between them with a frown.

"Jaune, was it? Do you have any idea who you are talking to?"

"Not in the slightest, snow angel." Jaune said as he gave her a smirk. For some reason this made the red-head look at him with a mix of surprise and hope.

"This is Pyrrha."

"Hello again!" Pyrrha said with a smile and a wave. The white-haired girl continued her introduction, but Jaune heard none of it. Oh no, he was too busy staring at the weapon resting on the bench behind Pyrrha. It had to have been the single most powerful and beautiful looking spear he had ever seen. With how much effort was seemingly put into crafting it, he could tell it was not a single use spear.

Why did this weapon mean so much to Jaune?

From his sister's stories, and Fiona beating this one lesson into him repeatedly Jaune Arc had learned one thing about being a hero.

Spears were a must.

The amount of times a spear saved his sister's life or allowed her to break of parts of monsters to later forge into weapons and armor were incalculable. Speaking of which, learning how to preserve pieces of Grimm was also good as well. Anyway, if he learned one thing it was that spears were life. Unfortunately he had no access to this glorious weapon type and prayed that he would never need one. Now, however, he saw a woman with potentially the greatest spear of all time.

He couldn't let this opportunity slip.

Too much was at stake!

Placing a hand over the white-haired girl's mouth to silence her ranting, to both girl's disbelief, he gently, but firmly pushed her away and stepped up towards Pyrrha. Placing both hands on her shoulders he gazed firmly into her eyes.

"Is that your spear?"

A bit confused and apprehensive, Pyrrha nodded making him give her a dazzling smile that made her heart jump for a second.

"You're perfect." Jaune said seriously as her cheeks reddened.

"W-what?" Pyrrha asked in confusion she saw the strange trance he went off into when Weiss started speaking and could tell he still had no idea who she was which only made this situation more confusing.

"Pyrrha I'm not going to beat around the bush, I'm going to get straight to the point." Jaune said seriously once again surprising her as many people would tried to be sneaky to get something from her–much like was she was suspecting Weiss was doing. "I need you." The way he said it made it sound as if his entire existence were on the line.

"Wh-wh-what!?" Pyrrha stuttered out and before he could respond, Jaune felt a sensation of weightlessness and was sent crashing into a locker courtesy of a glyph from Weiss.

"The nerve of you!" Weiss snapped before turning away. "Hmph, let's go Pyrrha!" Weiss said as she practically drug the Spartan out of the locker room. Pyrrha barely managed to grab her spear as she stared back at the dazed knight.

"Oh…my back…"Jaune groaned as Ruby and Yang walked towards him.

"Having some trouble there, Lady Killer?"

 **+1 Title Received: Lady Killer**

"So close…" Jaune winced out as he stood up with a grimace. His standing endurance wasn't on par with his sister's yet so from time to time he still found himself being knocked down, though such occasions were rare they were still inconvenient.

"Pretty smooth there killer, if _Snow Angel_ wasn't there you might have gotten a shot." Yang said with a wink as Ruby rolled her eyes and helped her friend up.

"Let's go Jaune, the professors are waiting."

 **-20 minutes later-**

Ozpin had finished explaining the situation as they stood on the cliff, but something still bugged him. He still had no idea what a landing strategy was. He racked his memories for all of the things his sister taught him but could not find anything about a landing strategy. He nervously glanced to the side to see the other first years.

One in particular that caught his eye was an orange haired girl that was possibly the shortest student there, but had what looked like the heaviest weapon. Jaune could tell that whatever the weapon was it focused on damage and not speed.

" _She focuses on damage per hit but is probably a glass cannon due to her weaker body…a berserker type perhaps?"_ Jaune wondered as she spoke to a taller man in green. In contrast to her he was the exact opposite and his weapons did not seem to focus on damage but rather speed, if he guessed they were probably even rapid fire. _"He on the other hand focuses on damage per second, a contrast but still effective. The black haired girl with the bow seems to be the same but with his apparent relationship with the orange-haired girl, their synergy is his selling point."_

Finally, Jaune turned to Pyrrha and nearly felt his heart skip a beat as he stared at her weapon. Unfortunately (?) Pyrrha saw him but misinterpreted his love-struck glance and looked away as her cheeks reddened.

" _Definitely a ranger, and that shield…beautiful."_ Jaune thought in amazement. Let it be known that thanks to his sister, Jaune had developed a love for shields and defense that was on par with Ruby's love for weapons in general. _"She'd be an effective ranger, but is probably a jack of all trades. She'd compliment my abilities as a tank perfectly. Out of everyone she is my highest priority."_ He was a little upset that there was no medic, but beggars can't be choosers.

"Jaune you're drooling." Ruby whispered as she shook her head making him chuckle nervously as he wiped his mouth much to Yang's amusement. Suddenly Jaune raised his hand gaining Ozpin's attention.

"Yes young man?"

"I just have a statement to make." Jaune said as he pointed to the two child hood friends and Pyrrha. "Orange, green, and especially Pyrrha are going to be on my team, dibs." Jaune said before giving everyone else, including Yang and Ruby, a glare which made them shudder slightly. "Back off." Everyone minus those he called out looked at him in apprehension.

After all anyone crazy enough to use a sword and shield in this day in age was either incredibly stupid or could fuck you up in ways you couldn't even imagine.

"Yeah right Killer, as random as this is? I bet you 10,000 lien per member." Yang said with a smirk. "For every one not on your team you owe me ten grand and vice-versa."

"You're on, do not doubt an Arc's ability to pick a team." Jaune said with a smirk of his own as Ruby shook her head.

"Oh Ren! I want that guy as our team leader, he's cool!"

"Not now, Nora." Ren sighed as Jaune turned back to his amused headmaster with a nod.

"Okay, continue. I'm ready for anything."

 **-2 minutes later-**

"Fuuuuuuuuuuckkkkkk meeeeeeeee!" Jaune shouted as he was flung into the forest.

"That boy is going to get himself killed." Glynda sighed.

"On the contrary, he may just be our most interesting student." Ozpin said as he smirked into his mug.

 **-With Jaune-**

"I'm dead, I'm dead, I'm dead...if I don't life flare, I'm so dead!" Jaune shouted as he descended into the forest. He prayed and prayed that the gods would give in their blessing and let him perform a life-flare, a technique his sister taught him that would allow him to sustain any mortal blow.

 _ ***Bang!***_

 _ ***SCHTICK!***_

Jaune's descent was halted as a familiar spear pinned his hood into a tree. Jaune looked up at the glorious weapon which saved his life with tears in his eyes.

"Oh God, Pyrrha I love you!" Jaune shouted out in gratitude.

"I-I'll be there in a second!" Pyrrha shouted back.

 **-15 minutes later-**

Weiss had walked into the clearing but luckily for him she had partnered with Ruby and walked away. This came to a relief for him because he had already planned out his party and was not about to let his partner choice be ruined by dumb luck.

"So, is it too late to take you up on that offer?" Pyrrha asked as she walked into the area.

"For you Pyrrha, never, I'd wait for you forever." Jaune said with a charming smile which she awkwardly returned.

 **-20 minutes later-**

Jaune and Pyrrha continued their trek through the forest even as they heard the distant sounds of gunfire. Jaune just hoped it wasn't orange and green because he wanted them in his team in one piece. So caught up in his thoughts he didn't see the branch Pyrrha was pushing out of the way racing back towards his face.

 _ ***BAM!***_

"Damn." Jaune muttered as the branch broke on his face, making him stumble back a step. Wiping his cheek he frowned when he saw blood. "Meh, its nothing to waste a potion over." Jaune shrugged as Pyrrha continued to apologize.

"I'm so sorry!"

"Don't worry it's nothing." Jaune said as he waved it off with a laugh.

"Still…why didn't you activate your aura?" Pyrrha questioned in confusion.

…

…

…

…

"…My what now?" Jaune deadpanned as Pyrrha gaped at him.

"Your aura…"

"Come again, say what?" Jaune questioned in confusion.

"You mean to tell me you came to Beacon without any idea of what an aura was? How on earth do you fight Grimm with a sword and shield!?"

"Very, very, carefully." Jaune said seriously making her shake her head.

"Aura is the manifestation of our souls that shields our hearts." Pyrrha said seriously as a Jaune looked towards her in amazement.

"Shield? So you mean it's like a defense?"

"Like a defense? Jaune, Aura is the primary defense of all hunters!" Jaune gaped at her and was wondering why his sister didn't tell him about it…

Then he paled when he realized she probably didn't know what it was herself since she had no formal training.

Yet she still became Supreme commander of a royal army and a Godslayer…

Damn, Fifi was a badass!

"Oh teach me the ways of the aura great Pyrrha!" Jaune pleaded as he fell to his knees and clasped his hands together making her giggle at his antics.

"Come here, it'll just take a second." Pyrrha said as she held his head in her hands. Jaune watched in awe as her body began to glow red as a white light covered his body while she said some sort of dramatic speech. He felt his wound from the branch heal along with the bruises he got from his sister. Jaune stood up slowly as she released him.

"There it's done. That power you feel? That's your aura, and you have a lot of it Jaune." Pyrrha said with a smile, no idea that she had just probably sent Remnant spiraling to certain destruction.

"This power…" Jaune muttered quietly he felt as though he could take on the world. It was if the power he gained from training with his sister was increased ten-fold. "…rapid healing plus increased defense?" Jaune whispered as he began to cackle evilly making Pyrrha blink owlishly. "I will be the greatest tank of all time! Immortality! Hahahaha!" Jaune laughed and Pyrrha could swear that the sky turned dark as lightning flashed behind the knight. "Heroes never die!"

"Uh…Jaune?"

"Ahem, excuse me." Jaune said as he suddenly cleared his throat and tried to pretend as if his sanity hadn't slipped for a moment. "Pyrrha, thank you, I owe you."

"Don't worry about it Jaune." Pyrrha said as they continued their trek.

"So partner, tell me about yourself. Besides the fact you look like this girl that was on my Pumpkin Pete's cereal box that I had a crush on, I know nothing about you–" Jaune was cut off as she suddenly tripped. "Whoa you okay?"

"I-I'm fine Jaune." His red-faced partner managed to get out. Jaune just scratched his head and shrugged.

 **-10 Minutes later-**

Jaune and Pyrrha were walking through a dark cave when they finally came across a golden object in the cave.

"Think this is the relic?" Pyrrha questioned curiously.

"Only one way to find out." Jaune said as he hopped up and got a good grip on it. He hung limply for a moment before a multitude of large blazing eyes looked up and seemed bore into his very soul.

…

…

…

 **-With Yang and Blake-**

" _FUUUUUUUUUUUUCKKKKKKK MEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"_

"Looks like Killer's bout to get killed." Yang joked as Blake gaped at her.

"That was actually pretty dark."

"I apologize."

 **-With Jaune-**

Jaune let go of the stinger and pulled out his blade. Landing on top of the Deathstalker, Jaune rammed his blade into one of its eyes before hopping off and landing next to Pyrrha. He spun around to face the Grimm while transforming his shield and holding it out before him.

"Damn, what is the headmaster thinking, throwing us out here?" Jaune muttered as he glance around for a plan.

"Jaune…" Pyrrha trailed off as she tried to think of a plan. This was probably her one fault, she was powerful but she was a lot more effective when she wasn't the one giving the order. She was a fighter not a leader.

"We can't fight it here, the area is too closed in." Jaune said suddenly snapping he rout of her thoughts making her look at him in surprise. "I'm going to ram it into a tree hopefully with enough force to make the thing fall on this creep. It won't buy us a lot of time, but hopefully enough to make a tactical retreat and find a better place to do combat."

"Wait, ram it? Jaune even with aura there is a limit to physical strength! If that thing stabs you, you'll die!"

"Then I won't let it stab me!" Jaune said with a wink as he dashed forward.

 _ **An absolute defense? If you want that then you need to learn how to perform a perfect Heavy Stander. Be grateful I'm here, learning this on the battlefield nearly cost me my life dozens of times!**_

Time seemed to slow as his sister's voice rung through his ears. The Grimm stabbed forward with its stinger as just as Jaune took a knee and raised his shield above him.

"Jaune!" Pyrrha shouted just as the stinger connected with the shield which had just moved into position to protect Jaune.

 _ ***KRANNNGGGG!***_

Pyrrha closed her eyes as bright blue sparks erupted from the ancient shield.

" _Whoa!"_ Jaune thought in alarm as he was sent sliding back from the force. The ground was torn up as he dug his feet into the ground.

 _ **And remember with a powerful defense, there is an equally powerful counterattack!**_

Jaune gritted his teeth as he regained his footing, he stopped sliding back for a split second before using the momentum to blast forward at breakneck speeds.

"Eat this!" Jaune shouted as he slammed his shield into the Deathstalker. Jaune gritted his teeth as two of the Deathstalker's legs were lifted from the ground with Jaune's strength alone. Jaune released a roar as his aura erupted from his body in a bright flash.

 ***KABOOOOOOM!***

Pyrrha felt her jaw go slack as not only was the Deathstalker knocked into a tree…it was also blasted through five more and sent tumbling through the forest.

"W-what are you?" Pyrrha questioned incredulously as Jaune panted for a moment before collapsing his shield and sheathing his blade.

"Your partner." Jaune said with a grin before running towards her and grabbing her hand. "Now let's go before that thing wakes up!"

"R-right!"

And with that, the two partners ran away at speeds that nearly put Ruby to shame.

 **-A few minutes later with Yang & Blake-**

" _Ahhhhhhhhhh!"_

Yang and her partner blinked as they heard the sound of a young girl falling and looked up to find a terrified Ruby falling from the sky.

"Help!" Ruby shouted as she watched the ground come closer at uncomfortable speeds.

"Ruby!" Yang shouted in horror as she watch her little sister fall. Before she could move to save her sister, however, she watched in surprise as a familiar blond man came out of nowhere and leapt up to catch the young huntress.

"Alright, nailed it!" Jaune cheered as he landed in a crouch with a stunned Ruby in his arms. Looking down he smirked at the girl as he stood up. "You know, crater face might have been a more accurate nickname than I imagined."

"Shut up." A red-faced Ruby muttered making him laugh as he placed her on her feet.

"Nice catch Jaune!" Pyrrha called out as she ran up to them. "Think this might be a good place to slay the Deathstalker?"

"Yeah, there's a lot more room here." Jaune said as Blake just looked at them blankly before turning to Yang.

"Did your sister just fall from the sky?" Blake questioned bluntly but received no response as Yang shook her head in wonder.

"Wow Killer, you actually did it." Yang said in disbelief as she gestured to Pyrrha. He had made it clear that he intended for the red-head to be his partner, but like everyone she ignored him knowing that the partners depended purely on chance.

"Hey, I have a vision when it comes to my team that I plan to fulfill." Jaune said with a short laugh. "All I need is for orange and green to show up and I'll be set." Jaune stated smugly making Yang roll her eyes.

"Yeah, yeah. Fine that's 10,000 I owe you but let's be realistic. To have the other two on your team means that they must be partnered. The odds of that happening are really low." Yang stated simply. Jaune was going to respond when something occurred to him.

"Hey, Ruby where is your partner anyway?" Jaune asked in confusion making her scratch her head sheepishly.

" _How could you leave me!?"_ A voice shouted and they all looked up to see Weiss barely hanging on to the back of a Nevermore.

"She's going to fall." Blake said bluntly making Ruby scoff.

"She'll be fine…"

"She's falling." Yang and Pyrrha deadpanned. Jaune titled his head for a moment before taking two steps to the left and outstretching his arms just in time to catch the heiress. Weiss opened her eyes slowly when she realized she didn't die and looked up to see possibly the one person she despised the most at the school smiling down at her.

"I knew you'd fall for me eventually, Snow Angel." Jaune chuckled.

"Ha, nice one!" Yang said with a short laugh.

"J-just set me down you dolt!" Weiss snapped and she looked away from him in embarrassment. Jaune laughed as he set her down before turning back to his partner with a calculating gaze.

"So we have a giant bird monster of doom circling us, and a Deathstalker which should be crashing through the foliage at any moment." Jaune began as he mecha-shifted his shield and pulled out his sword. "Play it smart, we can kill both but we need the rest of our team." Jaune said seriously making her look at him in surprise.

Pyrrha was at first a little skeptical about following the orders of a hunter that seemed to know nothing about huntsmen but then she remembered him ramming that large Grimm through the forest and decided it was best not to question him.

"Okay, but who's the rest of our team?" Pyrrha questioned in confusion.

"Orange and Green of course." Jaune said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"Not this again." Yang groaned as she shook her head. Before he could respond to the non-believer the sound of trees falling alerted them to the forest where they saw a large Ursa roaring in pain and clawing in front of itself viciously. They tensed for combat at the sight of the new Grimm but lowered their guard when it suddenly began to collapse.

"Yeeeehaaaaaaa!" A loud voice cheered as the Grimm dropped dead. Jaune just smirked as he saw a familiar orange-haired girl sit of from the top of the Grimm with a pout. "Aww, it's broken." Yang felt her eye-twitch as she saw a green-clad man limp out from behind the Grimm.

"Nora…please don't ever do that again…" The man panted out before looking around in confusion when he saw his partner vanish. Looking behind them they saw the short girl cheering as she picked up a golden chess piece it was a Rook, something Jaune made sure to pay attention to.

"I'm queen of the castle, I'm queen of the castle–"

"Nora!" The man shouted making her smile sheepishly.

"Coming Ren~"

"Did that girl just ride in on an Ursa?" Blake finally asked only to receive no answer. Yang however glared at the partners and realized she'd have to get the other rook if she wanted to avoid paying 30,000 Lien to Jaune. She quickly spun around only to find his outline blinking as he disappeared from the group.

"Damn it!" Yang shouted as she turned to see the blond knight standing with the second rook balancing on his head as a smirk graced his lips.

"I'll take that Lien in cash, not credit." Jaune said smugly as he walked towards his partner as Ren and Nora approached the group. "Ren and Nora, right? Welcome to the team we just need to make it out of here alive and then its official."

"Yay! We got blondie! We got blondie!" Nora cheered as she danced around making Ren sigh.

"Never doubt my skills." Jaune told Yang with a smug expression. Before she could retort she turned to the forest where she saw a Deathstalker that was missing an eye crash into the area.

"I'm 30,000 Lien in debt, a Nevermore is circling us, and now there's a Deathstalker." Yang groaned. "Hopefully, I'll die before I have to pay up."

"Like hell, you're not cheating me out of my money that easily! I'll protect you from all danger if it means you paying me!" Jaune shouted as he raised his shield. "Now team, plus four, I have a plan, there's only a thirty three point three percent chance of survival but that's better than zero–" Ruby suddenly smirked as she ran towards the Deathstalker.

"Don't worry I got this!" Ruby shouted as she shot forward at speeds which made Jaune's jaw drop slightly.

" _No wonder she smirked when I mentioned speed…but wait a second…"_ Jaune's thoughts trailed off as he face-palmed. "Oh my God, she just ran in…" Jaune said with an eye-twitch. "Damn it! Pyrrha cover me! Ren, Nora get ready I'm going in!"

 **-With Ruby-**

 **BGM: Ingkells (Extended)- Vindictus OST**

Ruby paled slightly when her scythe bounced off of the Deathstalker and quickly ran away only for the Nevermore that was circling them to fire a barrage of pitch black feathers at the young huntress. Ruby was forced to stop running when a feather stabbed her cape into the ground.

"Ruby!" Yang shouted in alarm as she ran towards her sister only to be forced to a stop when the feathers slammed into ground in front of her. Ruby struggled to break free only to freeze when she saw the Deathstalker approach her with its stinger poised to kill. She shut her eyes in fear just as the stinger raced towards her.

 _ ***KRANG!***_

She opened her eyes to see Jaune skidding back after apparently blocking the stinger just as Weiss glided forward and froze the Grimm to the ground. Jaune gritted his teeth as he suddenly blasted forward with his shield raised in front of him.

 _ ***CRASH!***_

 _ ***KRANNNG!***_

Weiss watched with wide eyes as the knight ran through her ice and shattered it as if it were nothing. Time seemed to slow as both her and her partner gazed at the Knight. The way he charged forward into battle with his shield while ice shards fell down around him made him look incredibly heroic. At that moment Jaune looked like the hero in the fairy tales they read when they were children. Jaune narrowed his eyes before slamming his shield into the Grimm, sending it tumbling back through the clearing.

"Remember me!?" Jaune taunted the Grimm causing to roar in anger as it stood up and focused its attention on him. His sister had ordered him to never taunt an enemy without a large shield to protect him, however, with his aura now protecting him Jaune felt like some rules were okay to bend.

 _ ***KRANG!***_

Jaune blocked one of the claws effortlessly and dashed forward, delivering four powerful slashes to the Grimm which barely scratched its armor. Jaune glared at the Deathstalker before spinning around to build momentum as he decided to encase his right leg in aura. He smirked as he used his sister's signature move and slammed a devastating kick into the Grimm's face sending it sliding back. The other hunters and huntresses could only gape at the sight.

"Did…did he just kick a Deathstalker away from him?" Blake asked incredulously as Pyrrha shook her head.

" _I've never seen someone use aura so wrong yet make it so effective."_ The Spartan thought in disbelief.

"Ruby, we'll go over how completely idiotic that was later but right now I'll leave that discussion to your partner!" Jaune shouted as he raised his shield in front of him and watched the enraged Grimm recover.

Speaking of partners…

"Pyrrha your aim is godly!" Jaune said as he remembered her saving his life with her spear. "Take out its eyes!" Jaune ordered as he slashed at the Deathstalker.

"On it!" Pyrrha shouted as her spear shifted into a rifle.

 _ ***Bang!***_

 _ ***Bang!***_

Jaune smirked as bullets shot just passed his head and slammed into the Grimm's eyes.

" _That spear's a rifle too!? I love this woman!"_ Jaune thought as he blocked the enraged Grimm's attacks with his shield as his partner blinded it. "Ren get its legs now!" Jaune said as he fell to a knee and slid into his Heavy Stander position. As the Grimm slammed its powerful claws against Jaune's unmoving shield, Ren ran up and slid under the Grimm with narrowed eyes.

 _ ***RATATATATATA!***_

Ren released a storm of bullets as he slid under the Grimm, making sure to hit the areas not protected by armor. Ren then flipped over the Grimm, slashing at the Deathstalker's last two remaining eyes with his weapons' blades, completely blinding it. The Grimm screeched as its legs gave of out.

Jaune narrowed his eyes as the Grimm slammed both claws simultaneously onto his shield, sending him sliding back only for him to once again return with a powerful counterattack that sent the weakened Grimm rag-dolling back.

 _ ***BOOOOOM!***_

 _ ***BOOOOOM!***_

 _ ***BOOOOOM!***_

Jaune blinked as Nora released a barrage of grenades at the Deathstalker before narrowing his eyes in wonder.

"Nora! Does your weapon transform too? And if so into what?" Jaune called out as she laughed.

"Magnhild is a grenade launcher slash Warhammer!" Nora cheered making his jaw drop slightly as his pride took a small hit. He shrugged the feeling off instantly, no one understood the classics! He turned to the damaged Grimm and watched its stinger shine in the sunlight.

 _ **[Listen up Jaune, some breaks are easier to find than other's you just need to pay attention!]**_

"Pyrrha! Spear the stinger!" Jaune shouted making her nod as Miló shifted into its spear form. Her eyes narrowed as she took aim before releasing the spear.

 _ ***BANG!***_

Jaune grinned as the spear shot straight though the Grimm's tail forcing the stinger to fall onto the Grimm's head. Jaune ran towards Nora and quickly slid down to a knee and used his Heavy Stander.

"Nora! Nail it!" Nora grinned as Magnhild turned into a Warhammer as she ran. She hopped onto Crocea Mors and Jaune used his sheer strength to launch the short huntress into the air.

"Hahahahaha!" Nora cheered before saluting and spinning down rapidly and slamming the hammer into the stinger, piercing the Grimm's head and killing it instantly. Jaune wanted to celebrate, but his sister had taught him about making sure all threats were taken care of. He glared as he watched the Nevermore descend towards Nora, its claws poised to kill and he ran forward as fast as he could.

"Look out!" Jaune shouted as he knocked her to the side with barely enough time to perform a perfect Heavy Stander, sending blue sparks blasting from his shield. Jaune slid back but refused to fall and sheathed his blade. He collapsed his trusty shield and placed it on his waist as reached into a pouch that was strapped to his side. Jaune smirked as he pulled out what looked like a chain stuck to a handle.

 _ **[Shields and Swords are awesome and all but sometimes you may need a secondary weapon.]**_

Jaune narrowed his eyes as he took aim at the Nevermore's tail.

 _ ***BANG!***_

The hook fired out like a bullet, a long chain extending from behind it as gun powder floated in front of Jaune. Jaune gritted his teeth as the hook stabbed into the Nevermore's tail and he roared as he began to walk back, as if trying to drag the giant Grimm down as his classmates looked at him in disbelief.

 _ **[You're stronger than you know Jaune, you just need to see it. You're an Arc but more importantly you're my little brother. I know when the time comes for you to step up, you'll do it wonderfully…]**_

"AHHHHHHHH!" Jaune shouted as his aura exploded from his body, covering his form in a white glow. He slowly stepped back and roared even louder as he began to drag the beast back. His muscles felt as though they were going to tear but he refused to let go. His eyes widened in surprise as he saw two hands grab the chain and glance to the side to see Pyrrha grabbing the chain as well.

 _ **[…But never forget, you are nothing without your team.]**_

Jaune grinned as Ren ran up and grabbed the chain as well.

"You're going down birdy!" Nora shouted as she grabbed the chain as well, and with a mighty tug from the entire team the Nevermore was sent crashing back to the ground.

 _ ***BOOOOOOOOOOOM!***_

Jaune's team was sent crashing back to the ground as the Nevermore slammed into the ground with an unearthly amount of force.

"Now!" Ruby shouted as Weiss descended upon the Grimm and encased its body in ice just as Blake wrapped her Gambol Shroud around its neck and pulled back to lift up it's head. "Yang do it!"

"You got it sis!" Yang shouted as she grabbed her sister and threw her at the Grimm's head with enough force that when mixed with Ruby's speed created a sonic boom that sent the young huntress blasting towards the Nevermore faster than a bullet. "It's over!" Ruby shouted as she released a round from her scythe in order to increase her speed even more.

 _ ***SHIIIIING!***_

Ruby landed in a crouch as rose-petals rained down around her as the Nevermore's head slowly slid from its body with a razor-sharp cut. She collapsed Crescent Rose and placed it on her back as she turned to the downed forms of Jaune's team with wide eyes. They were exhausted but smiling as they saw the last Grimm die. Nora laughed about having the best team ever as Jaune stood up slowly

 **BGM: END**

"Well…that was a thing." Yang finally said after a moment as she walked towards her team.

"Those four are insane, did they really just drag down a Nevermore right after killing a Deathstalker?" Blake asked helplessly. "These questions aren't rhetorical by the way, I am honestly wondering if what I'm seeing is in fact reality." The future team RWBY and Team JNPR minus Jaune looked on in confusion as the blond knight dug into the ground. Jaune smiled as he made a pile of wood, dirt, and rocks.

"Jaune…What are you doing?" Ruby asked finally after an awkward silence.

"Making a campfire." Jaune said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. To their disbelief as he stood up, fire spontaneously combusted within the pile. This, of course, made Blake's head hurt as she was sure that fires did not work that way. "So...before we head back, who wants a jar of Iced Strawberry Brandy?" Jaune questioned curiously as he sat next to the fire.

 **EXP + 300,000**

 **AP + 157**

 **+3 Nevermore Feathers**

 **+1 Nevermore Tears**

 **+1 Deathstalker Stinger**

 **+3 Deathstalker Armor Fragments**

 **+1 Vial of Deathstalker Venom**

 **+1 Nevermore Cloak Recipe**

 **+1 Deathstalker chest plate Recipe**

 **-Later: Beacon Academy-**

"Jaune Arc, Pyrrha Nikos, Nora Valkyrie, and Lie Ren. You four have collected the white rook pieces and will from now on work together as Team JNPR, led by…Nora Valkyrie–"

"Bullshit." The entirety of Team JNPR and even Ruby called out making Yang look at her incredulously. Ren was surprised to his see his childhood friend go completely serious for once. Ozpin just chuckled into his mug.

"I kid, I just wanted to see your reactions. No, you shall be led by Jaune Arc. Congratulations young man." Ozpin stated with a smirk making Jaune smile and nod his head as Pyrrha slapped him on the back and congratulated him. He winced from the contact but to his credit he stayed on his feet and thanked Pyrrha.

"Yes! This is happening!" Nora cheered with a fist pump. "We're going to kick so much ass and break twice as many legs!"

"Nora…" Ren groaned but even he had a slight smile on his face.

" _Just wait sis, one day I'll be an even greater hero than you!"_ Jaune thought to himself as Ozpin went to go name Team RWBY.

 **-That Night: Team JNPR's Balcony-**

 _["So you mean to tell me your partner has a spear that turns into a sword AND a rifle, and she uses a shield as well?"]_ Fiona's voice rang through Jaune's scroll as sounds of battle could be heard in the background.

 _ ***Clang!***_

 _ ***Clang!***_

 _ ***Crash!***_

"Yup. Are you sure you're okay right now?" Jaune asked cautiously as he heard the sounds of battle.

 _["Hmm? Oh I'm doing fine. I lost a bet to Evie and now she sent me off to slay a Succubus and steal its clothes so she can make new equipment.."]_ Fiona said nonchalantly. _["Damn it woman! Back off! Quit trying to have sex with me! If I wouldn't let Vella hit it why the fuck do you think you'd get a chance!?"]_ Fiona shouted suddenly in righteous anger making Jaune sweat-drop as he heard a sultry giggle in the background. _["Anyway, that partner of yours? Marry her. Woman will make the Arc line stronger than ever, I can tell."]_

"Wait, what!?" Jaune choked out.

 _["Damn it, I'll call you later this bitch doesn't know when to quit!–Don't touch me there!"]_ And with that, the call went dead leaving a gaping Jaune staring at his scroll in disbelief. Shaking his head, Jaune closed and looked out to the moon-lit campus with a smile as he heard his Nora and Ren conversing back in their rooms.

"Well, the first day as a team is down, four more years to go." Pyrrha said with a smile as she approached her leader.

"Yeah, there's no telling what the future will bring but with you watching my back I know–" Jaune stopped talking as he saw a mysterious figure moving in the court-yard. His eyes widened as the figure turned to reveal the single most beautiful woman he had ever laid eyes on gazing up at him. She had a smooth black dress that was split in the front, snow white hair that was tied into a pair of twin tails, pale skin, and a pair of the brightest blue eyes he had ever seen. She smiled at him warmly and gave him a wave.

"–aune, Jaune!" Pyrrha shouted finally getting his attention. He shook his head and turned to her and watched her stare out into the courtyard in confusion. "What on Remnant were you looking at?" Pyrrha asked perplexed making him blink owlishly before turning back to the courtyard. Sure enough the woman was still there smiling up at him.

"You don't see her?" Jaune asked as he pointed towards the woman making Pyrrha give him a concerned glance.

"See who, Jaune? Do we need to take you to the nurse? That Deathstalker probably did more damage than we thought." Jaune just looked at her in disbelief as the mysterious woman began to giggle.

"You're right. I might be seeing things…I'll be right back." Jaune said suddenly as he bolted out of the room.

"Jaune!" Pyrrha called out in alarm but her leader had already left.

 **-Courtyard-**

 **BGM: Rie Tanaka-Eternal (Mabinogi OST)**

Jaune ran into the courtyard and his eye's widened when he saw the woman sitting on top of the statue of his ancestor, gazing at the moon.

"Hello?" Jaune called out gaining her attention. She turned to him with a smile and hopped off the statue and floated down in front of him.

"We finally meet." The woman said warmly confusing him.

"Jaune Arc, nice to meet you...mind telling me who you are?" Jaune asked awkwardly making her giggle.

"You may call me Nao, as for who I am I suppose you could call me your guide." Nao said gently as she cupped the side of his face making his face burn red as he tried to stutter out a response. "You were hidden for so long I was unable to find you until your soul called to me today."

"My soul?" Jaune questioned but then remembered what Pyrrha had told him. _"Is she talking about my Aura unlocking?"_

"Little Millitian born so far away from home." Nao said with genuine sadness. "It must have been so hard for no one to understand you. I want nothing more than to bring you home but the fact is that you are only part Millitian your fate is already tied to this dying world. Once you complete your journey you will be able to return home."

"What are you talking about!?" Jaune questioned as he backed away from the woman making her sadness grow. "You're not making any sense! What is a Millitian and what does it have to do with me!?"

"They are children of the Soul stream." Nao answered as she turned to the statue of his ancestor. "That man came to this world and finished the remainder of his life as hero here. Once he died, I brought him back home but I did not account for his bloodline to live on in this world." Nao said sadly. "So many generations of children I let die here without being able to bring them home."

"Let die?" Jaune asked in confusion.

"You see your human blood prevented your soul from calling out to me. And thus, I was unable to save your ancestors from death. You are different, as diluted as your blood is, your soul still calls to me." Nao informed the young Knight. "You age much slower than normal Millitians but time must still seem to move slightly slower to you than it does your peers."

"I'm so lost right now." Jaune muttered as he rubbed his temples making the woman smile sadly.

"All will make sense as you continue your Journey." Nao stated as she stepped forward and placed a kiss on his forehead. The simple gestured made a powerful emotion surge through his body. It was if he had become complete for the first time ever. "I shall watch over you now that I know where you are, and one day once you finish doing what is required of you here, I shall bring you home. Goodbye for now Jaune Arc."

And with that she vanished.

 **BGM: END**

"Jaune! There you are, are you okay–" Pyrrha stopped talking as she ran to her leader whom slowly turned to her. "Jaune…you're crying."

"What?" Jaune asked as he wiped his eyes and sure enough he could feel the tears. Shaking his head, Jaune forced a smile to his face. "Sorry, I must be tired I'm going to go ahead and sleep." Jaune said as he walked away while Pyrrha looked as his retreating form in concern.

What was to become of Jaune Arc?

Only time could tell.

… **Auto-save…**

 **Next level: The Silent Brotherhood**

 **Well that was my slightly edited version of the original first chapter, hopefully you like seeing this story back!**

 **Read and Review and always be beautiful!  
**

 **~RebuffX7**


	2. Level 1 (Betaed)

**Betaed by: The Undying Will**

 **{Beta's Notes: I've done (as) well (as I could) to serve Lord Rebuke and Lady Rebuff, for I am–*passes out due to sickness*}**

 **RebuffX7: lol don't die on us, it's not covered in your insurance plan**

 **Disclaimer: Still don't own RWBY or Vindictus/Mabinogi.**

 **Featured BGMs:**

 _ **Rules of Nature- Jason Miller**_

 _ **Keaghan (Extended) - Vindictus OST**_

 _ **Mabinogi G12 Ending Theme**_

 _ **Glas Ghaibhleann Battle Theme (Extended) - Vindictus OST**_

 _ **Sword of Promised Victory- Fate/Zero OST**_

 _ **Eternal- Rie Tanaka**_

 **Level 1: JNPR: The Silent Brotherhood**

 **-Beacon-**

It had been a few weeks since Jaune and his team began their studies at Beacon and the four young hunters had become as close as family. Teams JNPR and RWBY were easily the top two teams of their year at Beacon. Whereas team RWBY specialized in overwhelming force JNPR, in contrast, utilized superior teamwork and strategy in their training.

This of course sparked a good-natured rivalry between team "Red" and team "Blue" as their classmates had liked to call them.

Many often wondered what would happen if the two teams ever clashed and realized that Beacon would probably be destroyed in the crossfire.

 **-Combat Class-**

Glynda narrowed her eyes as she looked at her class roster, or more accurately, at one Jaune Arc's name.

 **-Flashback: Ozpin's office-**

" _I don't understand, the boy has talent why on earth would he need to fake his transcripts?" Glynda questioned in confusion. The idea that Ozpin would accept a student who lied his way into the school confused her to no end, it was as if he saw something that she couldn't._

" _Who knows?" Ozpin asked with a knowing smile._

 _["You do, you know it all son of a bi–"]_

" _The world is a mysterious place." Ozpin said interrupting the woman's thoughts. "Let me ask you something, what do you know of the Arc line?"_

" _They make up some of history's greatest hunters." Glynda said stoically. "Which further makes me question why he would fake his way in when his very name is a full-ride scholarship to virtually any institution."_

" _Close Glynda, but you are only half correct." Ozpin said as he took a sip from his mug. If Glynda didn't know any better she would assume that the cup was his huntsman weapon. "History refers to the Arcs as heroes, not hunters."_

" _What's the difference?"_

" _Few people can become huntsman, even fewer can become heroes." Ozpin said matter-of-factly but there was something in his eyes that increased the depths of his words exponentially. "Did you know that no Arc has ever officially attended a Huntsman school until just now? Jaune is the first in his family to receive formal education."_

" _What?" Glynda questioned in confusion. "Surely you jest–"_

 _ ***Thump!***_

" _Did the research." Ozpin piped up as he dropped a heavy manila folder on his desk. "Did you know that by watching the recordings of the Emerald Forest exams that we also viewed history? Young Arc is the only member of his family to activate their Aura since his great-great grandfather whose death is still shrouded in mystery."_

" _Now that's just impossible–"_

 _ ***THUMP!***_

 _Glynda felt her eye twitch as a folder twice the size of the first one fell onto the desk._

" _Over a century of medical records." Ozpin drawled._

" _How–"_

" _I am simply that good." Ozpin said as he smirked into his mug. "Tell me did you know his eldest sister whom has no formal training or access to aura is the leader of a royal army and a member of the Crimson Blades? Or that two more of his sisters are high-ranking generals within that same army?" Ozpin questioned curiously making Glynda's eyes widen in alarm._

" _No–"_

" _Read up on her and her sisters." Ozpin said as he tossed her another folder. "In one month she transformed that boy from a liability and into one of the best leaders Beacon has seen in years."_

" _How did you get access to his sisters' information? If they are that high up in their current country I doubt they would be forthcoming of their exploits." Glynda said making the man raise an eyebrow._

" _Do you really want to know how I got that information?" Ozpin questioned seriously as he sat down his mug and folded his hands. His eyes narrowed as he peered into his companion's eyes._

" _Yes…?" Glynda answered though it came out more as a question. It wasn't often that she could see Ozpin become this serious on a subject._

" _I called the eldest sister…and asked her." Ozpin said bluntly making Glynda face-fault. "Her mother gave me her number."_

" _What!?"_

" _I know, I was surprised as well but she really didn't care if I knew what she did." Ozpin said with a shrug._

" _And she just gave you this information…for free!?" Glynda questioned incredulously._

" _Well…she did ask that I be on the lookout for a set of armor." Ozpin revealed as he leaned back. "Apparently the grave of her predecessor, a man named Keaghan, was raided and his armor was stolen. There was no body in the grave, but I felt it was best not to pry too much into their matters across the pond."_

" _I'll admit robbing a man's grave is horrible, but why is it the cause for such alarm?" Glynda questioned in confusion._

" _Because….according to her as far as anyone else in concerned that man has never existed." Ozpin said ominously. "Now I must get back to work, do keep a close eye on the Arc boy and also Miss Rose. Those two are going to bring a great change to Vale, I can feel it."_

 **-Flashback: End-**

"Okay class, one more match before we end for the day." Glynda said as she looked up at her students. "Yang Xiao Long."

"Me?" Yang said in surprise before smirking and cracking her knuckles. "Time to bust some heads!" Yang cheered making many of the other students shudder. Jaune sent out a silent prayer to the poor soul that was unfortunate enough to have Yang as their opponent. The woman loved fighting far too much.

"Versus…" Glynda trailed off rolling her eyes at Yang's antics. "Jaune Arc."

"Say what?" Jaune deadpanned as if he couldn't believe his ears.

"You shall have a match with Ms. Xiao Long." Glynda informed the young man who nodded his head.

"I thought that's what you said." Jaune stated as he stood up and turned to his team. "It was fun being your leader, but I suppose Beacon just is not the place for me." Jaune said seriously as he prepared to leave the room, no doubt to go pack his bags.

Or he was until his armor gained a blackish tint and he found himself floating in the air and towards the arena.

 _ ***CRASH!***_

Jaune landed on the arena with a groan and looked up to give his partner a weak glare.

"I thought I said that was only cool when it _wasn't_ aimed at me!" Jaune snapped.

"Come on, you're our leader it would make us look bad if you forfeited." Pyrrha said as Nora cheered.

"Yeah besides, Team B is best team! There's no way our leader can lose to one of Ruby's grunts!"

"Hey!" Yang, Blake, and Weiss shouted at Nora but were completely ignored.

"Break her legs!" Nora shouted with a grin as Ren face-palmed.

"With friends like these who needs enemies?" Jaune questioned with a sigh as he turned to watch Yang step into the arena.

"How about we make this interesting, killer? Double or nothing on our previous bet if I win." Yang suggested making him stare at her with half-lidded eyes.

"You just want to get out of paying me."

"I don't hear a no~"

"Fine, but if I win I get an extra 30,000 Lien plus you owe me a favor later." Jaune said as he transformed Crocea Mors and raised his shield in front of him while holding tightly to his blade. Yang grinned as her gauntlets covered her fists

"Deal."

"Get ready…" Glynda called out as both blonds tensed for combat. "Begin!"

 _ **[Take a deep breath and calm down Jaune. Any opponent can be defeated if you stay calm and think no matter how much stronger they are...even me.]**_

"Time to go wild!" Yang shouted as she threw a punch towards Jaune.

 _ ***BANG!***_

*BANG!*

*BANG!*

*BANG!*

 _ ***KRANG!***_

Jaune narrowed his eyes as he rose his shield just in time to perfectly block the first blast causing blue sparks to erupt from his shield. He didn't move as blast after blast slammed into his shield making his arm tremble slightly as he forced himself to maintain his footing.

" _Yang's strong but impulsive once she loses her head in a fight she can be taken down."_ Jaune realized as he waited for the perfect moment to strike.

 _ ***CLICK!***_

" _Now!"_ Jaune thought as Yang ran out of ammo. Jaune shot forward quickly with his shield raised in front of him as Yang reloaded her gauntlets. Jaune was ten feet away from her when she cocked her fist back to release another shot. Just as she threw her first punch, Jaune darted to the right at speeds that were easily double what many thought was his peak.

 _ ***BANG!***_

"What?" Yang questioned in confusion as Jaune suddenly stopped on a dime and spun around to blast towards her. Jaune narrowed his eyes as he rammed his shield into her side, making her grit her teeth slightly. Glynda narrowed her eyes as she saw Yang's aura fall down ten percent.

" _So he drew first blood. Impressive shield, not many its age could withstand an onslaught like that-the legends seem to be true."_ Glynda thought as Yang was knocked back from the blow.

" _Huh, so my shield dash caught her off guard–still it's not like that will work a second time. Gotta make this count!"_ Jaune thought as Yang flipped back to her feet and released a shot from her gauntlet, the recoil blasting her forward towards Jaune with her fist cocked back.

"Eat this!" Yang shouted as red began to seep into her irises. Time seemed to come to a slow as Jaune lowered his shield and ducked as his aura began to engulf his blade. Yang's fist went flying just above his head, so close that Jaune could feel her gauntlets graze his hair.

 _ **[After a Shield Dash, get ready to focus all your strength into a single point in your blade. This is called the focal point, if it lands it will deal a decent amount of damage!]**_

" _Time to see how well this move works with aura!"_ Jaune thought as he flipped his blade around from its reverse position and slashed upwards towards Yang. "Got you!" Jaune shouted as an arch of light seemed to slash Yang across her chest making her stumble back. Jaune knew he wouldn't get this chance again and slashed Yang four more times before spinning around and knocking her away with an aura infused Amaranth Kick to her stomach.

 _ ***BOOOOOOOM!***_

 _ ***CRASH!***_

Yang was blasted from the arena and slammed into a stone pillar with enough force to make even Glynda wince slightly as she watched Yang's aura fall well into the yellow zone. Jaune instantly shifted to a defensive stance as he watched the pile of debris cautiously.

 _ **[You're like me, Jaune, a Tank. In exchange for relatively low mobility and attack speed, your attack will be above average and your defense is above everyone else's. This means you are very annoying to fight, you will piss of your enemies which is what you want…use their anger against them.]**_

 **BGM: Rules of Nature- Jason Miller**

"Yang!" Blake called out in alarm, not at all expecting her partner to be hit with such force. Ruby shook her head and placed a hand on the Faunas' shoulder.

"It's okay. She has this fight, with every hit she gets stronger. She takes the energy and uses it to fight back, that's what makes her special!" Ruby said surprising her team.

 _ ***KABOOOOOOM!***_

The pile of debris exploded in a pillar of golden light as a pissed off Yang walked out with her hair shining bright gold while her eyes bled crimson.

" _So that's her semblance…man I need to hurry up and get one of those."_ Jaune thought as he relaxed his stance and stretched his left arm out to his side, causing his shield to face those students sitting behind them.

"That's fine and all Ruby but I wouldn't say she has this." Pyrrha said with a small smile as she gazed at her leader confusing Ruby and her teammates.

"Jaune can take a beating." Ren added as Nora grinned.

"It's what makes _him_ special!" Nora cheered as she stuck her tongue out at the younger huntress.

" _Shield enhancement."_ Jaune thought as his aura covered his shield causing it to explode in a flash of light before being encased in his white aura. Jaune then spun his blade a couple of times in his hand before raising it above him quickly, encasing his body in a white aura. _"Slashing High!"_

 _ **[You know that feeling when you become so focused on a task, you ignore the world around you? That's what Slashing High is. That's what I'm going to teach you how to control. It's nowhere near the level of Arisha's…condition…but it's similar enough to help you in a pinch.]**_

"It's over Lady-killer!" Yang roared as she blasted forward with her fist cocked back, leaving a blazing trail behind her.

"Bring it Sunshine!" Jaune shouted as he placed his shield in front of him and dashed forward towards the powerful huntress.

 _ ***BANG!*  
**_

 _ ***KRANG!***_

Jaune gritted his teeth as he saw the blue sparks fly from his shield as Yang's fist collided with it. The perfect counter made the aura covering his shield shine brighter, extending its duration. Jaune stepped forward and slammed his shield into Yang's body twice, the second hit causing a small explosion of aura. This, however, only made Yang's hair shine brighter as her power increased. Yang glared fiercely as she slammed her other fist into his face.

 _ ***BANG!***_

Jaune didn't even bat an eye at the direct blow to his face and brought his blade down upon his fellow blonde with no mercy.

 _ ***SHING!***_

Yang didn't even seem effected as she began to trade blows with Jaune. Both were being slashed and hit without any defense but their auras, yet neither even seemed outwardly affected.

 _ ***BANG!***_

*SHING!*

*BANG!*

 _ ***SHING!***_

"A-are they even human!?" One of the students questioned as they watched Yang and Jaune duke it out in the arena. They could feel the force from Yang's blows and nearly stumbled every time Jaune landed that weird kick of his. Glynda's eyes were slightly wider than usual. She hadn't expected a spar to turn into…this…. She looked at their bars and narrowed her eyes as she saw their Aura's steadily decreasing. Yang's aura had just entered the red as Jaune was now in the yellow with only 40% left to go.

"Time to end this!" Yang boomed as she exploded in a pillar of golden flames and shot up to the ceiling. She flipped and crouched on the ceiling for a second her gauntlet seemed to glow as bright as her hair while she glared at Jaune. Time slowed as Jaune glared back at her as his Slashing High disappeared along with his shield enhancement.

 _ **[Remember Jaune, even if you don't feel the damage or flinch while in a state of Slashing High, you are still being hurt! You will feel it once you come to your senses!]**_

Jaune gritted his teeth in pain as he felt the damage Yang had done to his body. This woman was no joke at all. Jaune fell to a knee in pain as Yang descend upon him, no doubt intending to end the fight. Jaune, refusing to give up stabbed his blade into the ground to brace himself as he raised his shield.

" _ **AHHHHHHHHHHH!"**_ Yang shouted as she descended upon him with an ungodly amount of force just as his shield covered his body from view.

 _ ***KRACKABOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!***_

 _ ***KRANNNNNNNGGGGGGGGGGG!***_

The students and even Glynda had to shield their eyes from the flash of light as every window in the classroom shattered. When the light died down, they saw Yang bending over with her hands on her knees as she panted in exhaustion while her semblance died down. The entire arena was completely decimated.

"*Pant* I-I w-won…good try Lady-Killer–" Yang's voice caught in her throat as she saw Jaune standing at the edge of the arena's remains tiredly. His sword was stuck in a nearby wall as he gripped his shield tightly. "N-no way…" Yang whispered as Jaune began to seemingly fall forward.

 _ **[Whenever you think that you've been beaten and you can't go on remember…you're my brother and I believe in you.]**_

 _ ***Step***_

"I won't fall!" Jaune shouted as he blasted forward with his shield in front of him. Yang cursed herself for forgetting about his counterattack and stumbled to the side just in time to avoid being taken out by it. Jaune, always one to have a back-up plan, suddenly spun around. With one arm and a roar, Jaune slammed his shield into her torso. "This is my win!" as he hit her with a powerful Shield Bash.

A beat.

 _ ***KRANNNNNNNGG!***_

Yang felt her breath leave her lungs as she was literally sent flying from the arena and into the top row of desks as Jaune fell to his knee.

 _ ***CRASSHH!***_

"Enough!" Glynda shouted as Yang lay on her back unconscious on top of some student's desk. "Jaune Arc is the winner of this match." Glynda stated and with one swing of her whip, the arena began to repair itself.

"N-no way…" Ruby whispered in disbelief. She looked as if someone had just completely proved everything she knew about the world to be wrong.

"Unbelievable." Blake muttered with wide-eyes.

"Impossible." Weiss muttered incredulously. Yang may have been a dunce, but she was still powerful enough to get Weiss' respect/slight fear. For her to be defeated by the foolish leader of JNPR blew her mind.

There was a silence.

"Wooohooooo!" Nora shouted. "Team B is best team! Team JNPR runs this school!" Nora's voice broke through the tense silence.

"Well done Jaune." Ren said quietly to himself.

"I knew you could do it Jaune!" Pyrrha cheered as she clapped for her leader, the rest of the students–minus the stunned Team RWBY– followed suit.

"Class dismissed, JNPR, take your leader to the nurse. RWBY, the same for Ms. Xiao Long." Glynda ordered as she continued to look at the young knight with interest.

 **-An hour later-**

After the nurse had made sure Jaune was healed, the team brought their unconscious leader back to their room and sat him on his bed, glad that Glynda's class was their last one for the day. After a moment, something strange happened that had all three of them looking at their leader in confusion and slight shock.

"Damn did I go three rounds with Fiona? What hit me?" Jaune muttered as he sat up tiredly in his bed and rubbed his head. He yawned and blinked as he saw his team staring at him in morbid fascination, or more accurately staring next to him. Feeling a chill go down his spine he slowly turned his head and came face to face with a small winged-girl with orange twin tails and red eyes. The feathers on her wings seemed to be made of blades and she was giving Jaune a bright grin as she sat cross legged on the bed. "The…fu–"

" _ **Welcome back master!"**_ The girl grinned, making Jaune blink twice as he turned back to his team.

"Did Yang hit me harder than I thought or is this girl actually there?" Jaune questioned suddenly and as one, the team nodded slowly to confirm that he was not insane. Taking a deep breath, Jaune steeled himself as he turned back to the girl who was glowing slightly in a golden light. "Okay, who might you be…better yet what are you?" Jaune questioned sure that no one that small or with bladed wings actually existed.

" _ **Eh?"**_ The girl said as she tilted her head and looked at Jaune curiously. _**"I'm Crocea Mors, your spirit weapon. You're my master."**_

"Right." Jaune said as he nodded his head before fainting.

" _ **Ah master!"**_ The spirit shouted in fear.

 **-30 minutes later-**

"So you're telling me Crocea Mors, you, were a thing called a spirit weapon and was asleep for decades? And you sustain yourself…by eating other weapons." Jaune questioned as the apparently cannibalistic spirit sat on his head with a smile.

" _ **Yup!"**_

"So why are you awake now?" Jaune questioned curiously making the spirit frown sadly as she held her stomach.

" _ **I was so hungry…for years I starved and eventually went to sleep to spare myself the pain of living…"**_ Crocea said as she looked completely devastated making JNPR wince sadly before she brightened up. _**"But you fed me and now I'm all better!"**_

"Eh? Fed you? Are you talking about when I pumped my aura into you? I thought you said you could only eat weapons or items." Jaune asked in confusion making his team hold their weapons closer.

" _ **Whatever it was it worked! Never tried aura before but I'm back to 100%!"**_ The spirit said before leering at the other weapons as drool slid from her mouth. She developed a creepy laugh as she wiped her mouth. _**"But a nibble wouldn't hurt…for old time's sake of course–"**_

"Jaune!" Nora cried out as she held her hammer. "Keep her away from Magnhild!" Nora all but cried in fear.

"Crocea, no eating weapons I don't feed you." Jaune said firmly making her pout.

" _ **Okay master…anyway don't let the golden glow fool you! I reached a level of power so high I could choose my glow! I chose gold because it's my favorite color–"**_ The spirit stopped suddenly as she gazed at something resting on Jaune's book case. _**"Master! You have a paladin's diary!?"**_ Crocea questioned in alarm making him blink as he looked at the old book his sister gave him.

"Huh? Oh yeah my elder sister gave it to me before I left, haven't gotten a chance to read it."

" _ **What are you waiting for!? Don't you want power? Read it!"**_ Crocea said before turning to the team. _**"They can read it too! Come on, do it, do it, do it, do it, do–"**_

"Okay, okay!" Jaune said as he stopped his weapon's tantrum, especially when Nora began to chant along with it. It was hard enough having one Nora around, they couldn't handle two. With a sigh, he stood up as the spirit floated behind him and picked up the book. "Let's see-"

 _ ***FLASH***_

He blinked in surprise as the book turned into a ball of light before separating into four parts and slamming into himself and his teammates. They couldn't even scream as their vision went black.

 **-?-**

"What the hell?" Jaune muttered as he fell to his rear.

"Jaune!?" A voice called out and he turned to find Pyrrha, Ren, and Nora all on the ground in front of him. Standing up slowly, team JNPR looked around only to find themselves standing in a decimated battlefield.

"Guys, look at that." Ren muttered as he pointed to the side shakily and they all paled when they saw the form of a colossal black dragon lying on its side fatally wounded as numerous bodies all covered in shattered armor lay around it. Whether they were dead or close to it was anyone's guess but it was obvious that if they didn't receive medical attention soon they would perish.

"Dust…" Pyrrha muttered in horror as she covered her mouth at the sight. It was obvious that the injured men and women had fought valiantly. She sent them a silent prayer and knew that they had at least brought the mysterious beast down with them if they had indeed perished.

"Ren, where are we? I don't like this place." Nora said quietly as she stepped closer to her childhood friend. All traces of happiness were gone from the bubbly young woman and all that was left was fear. The dragon began to move slightly making them step back in fear only to stop when they heard the sound of metal dragging on the ground.

They watched with wide eyes as a black-haired man garbed in heavy black armor with the single largest blade they had ever seen glared at the beast. It was then that they noticed a blonde young woman garbed in a white robe floating above the dragon as if she were trapped. The man looked at her sadly as he stabbed the blade into the ground.

" _I know how to save your precious oracle."_ A snake-like voice said suddenly making the man grit his teeth in anger as he turned to see what looked like a lizard wearing a white robe.

" _Tell me…"_ The man demanded weakly as he turned to face the snake which had stepped in front of team JNPR. It was obvious now that they couldn't be seen by the people which only made their confusion grow. The blonde woman whimpered as she struggled to break free of the invisible hold.

" _You don't have the power to slay Echulus, but I do…and I will share it with you. My sacrifice will insure the destruction of the Fomors."_ The lizard-man hissed sinisterly.

" _Keaghan…don't!"_ The woman cried out making team JNPR wince as they could practically feel her sorrow.

" _Rip out my heart…rip it out and eat it! With my power, you can destroy the dragon!"_ The lizard hissed.

" _Sorry Tieve…this is the only way!"_ Keaghan told the woman making Ren curse.

"Idiot." Ren muttered with narrowed eyes. It was obvious that the snake make was using the armored man's desperation against him. Still, he couldn't say he wouldn't do the same thing if he and Nora were in their position. Team JNPR could only watch as the man stalked forward and stabbed his hand through the sinister beings chest with brute strength alone sending blood spraying everywhere.

" _No one will take Tieve from me!"_ Keaghan muttered as he devoured the creature's heart as tears fell from Tieve's eyes.

 _ **No I was too late.**_

JNPR blinked in surprise as a voice seemed to resonate through the area. They held their chests in pain as they could feel a palpable sorrow as if they could feel the voice's emotions. Jaune felt a bead of sweat slide down his face as he shook his head slowly in horror.

He could recognize that voice anywhere.

" _Y-you damn fool…!"_ A voice muttered and they could see one of the downed figures standing up weakly. It was a blonde woman with golden hair, lightly tanned skin, and bright blue eyes. Her armor was all but destroyed and blood covered her body as she rose to her feet with a sword held tightly in her right hand. Furious tears fell from her eyes as she watched Keaghan stumble around in agony as a dark power seemed to cover him.

"Fifi…no…no…no, stay down!" Jaune shouted in vain making his team look at him in surprise. Glancing around frantically to find his other sisters. When they couldn't be spotted he realized that this must have been before they met up with Fiona.

"Jaune?" Pyrrha asked carefully. "Do you know that woman?" Jaune only nodded as his face conveyed nothing but fear for the woman before them.

"That's my older sister, Fiona." Jaune answered shocking them. "What is she doing!?"

" _F-Fiona…"_ A woman with a long black ponytail whispered as she rolled over to her back in pain. Next to her was a large scythe that would have had Ruby drooling. _"Echulus took a lot out of us, I can heal the others but not enough for us to all live and fight…it's up to you, please Fiona…end this once and for all."_

 _ **Evie…**_

It was obvious now that the voice they heard in their heads was the woman's thoughts. Fiona closed her eyes as she slammed her foot down on the side of a shield causing it to flip up into the air where she easily caught it with her left hand.

"Save her…" Evie pleaded as tears fell from her eyes. "If it's…y-you, you can do it!"

 _ **Everyone we've come so far…**_

 _ **Sacrificed so much…**_

Fiona narrowed her eyes as she glanced down at the scythe-wielder.

" _Leave the rest to me."_ Fiona muttered as she turned her attention to Tieve who was watching her with wide-eyes.

 _ **Tieve…**_

JNPR blinked as an image of Tieve, Fiona, and Keaghan laughing and having fun by a shrine flashed through their minds for a split second.

" _I'm going to save you. Everything is going to be back to normal."_ Fiona swore with an intensity that Jaune had never seen before. _"Believe in me."_

" _Fiona…"_ Tieve whispered quietly as the woman rose her shield before her even though they could all see the effort it took her.

"I don't get it, why isn't her aura healing her?" Ren questioned making Pyrrha pale as she turned towards Jaune. Seeing her expression, the leader just nodded solemnly. "What is it?"

"She doesn't have her aura unlocked." Pyrrha answered quietly making Ren's eyes widen in disbelief.

"What!? That's suicide!"

 _ **This is a man who can stalemate enemies that I have to go all out on with minimal effort. Better than me in every way…I can't win no matter how hard I try to imagine it.**_

Fiona thought with a glare as she charged forward as the now berserk Keaghan ran towards her with his colossal blade poised to kill.

 _ **But this…this isn't a matter of can or can't…victory is my only option…**_

 _ ***KRANNNNNNNNGGGG!***_

The blade slammed into her shield release bright blue sparks that illuminated the area as Fiona gritted her teeth and knocked his blade back before ramming it into him three times. After that she slashed him twice with her sword. Fiona then flipped her blade into a reverse grip and slashed him one more time before delivering a swift roundhouse kicked which made him stumble back slightly.

 _ **He can even shrug off my Ivy Sweep.**_

Fiona just gave a tired smile as blood spilled from her lips.

 _ **You really are a monster.**_

 **BGM: Keaghan (Extended) - Vindictus OST**

" _You bastard…how many times will you make Tieve cry!?"_ Fiona boomed as she spun around and delivered her signature kick only for him to block it with his blade causing the ground beneath them to shatter. Keaghan roared as he gripped her by her ankle tightly enough to shatter it making the woman grit her teeth as he flung her across the battlefield.

 _ ***KRACKABOOOOOOM!***_

" _*GAK!*"_ Fiona coughed up blood as she slammed into the ground with enough force to embed her into the rock. A few pieces of jagged rock stabbed through her body but even then she refused to scream. She glared at Keaghan as he dashed forward and leapt into the air, his blade raised the finish her.

 _ **Time to go all out, I must have been the only one not to use this on Echulus**_

Fiona grinned as she was engulfed by a bright light. JNPR was blinded by the light but they managed to see a glimpse of bright white armor begin to cover Fiona before they were completely blinded.

 _ ***FLASH!***_

When the light had died down it was obvious to the team that a good amount of time had passed in the battle as there was nothing but large craters and enormous gashes on the battlefield. Both Fiona and Keaghan were on their hands and knees panting tiredly. The team could see small pieces of mysterious white armor shatter from Fiona's body.

"Did…did she get him?" Jaune asked incredulously as his team looked at the woman in shock. For a woman as heavily injured as her to do this much damage without aura was nothing short of amazing. It was at this moment that the three paled slightly and turned to each other before cautiously glancing at Jaune.

Just how strong could _he_ become with aura? It didn't take a genius to figure out his sister must have been his trainer.

 _ **How…was…that Keaghan?**_

Fiona panted tiredly, she had gone all out and could only force the man to a stalemate. Keaghan looked as though he were coming to his senses.

" _F-Fiona?"_ Keaghan whispered before gripping his head in agony. A powerful pulse of pure darkness and dread exploded from his body as it was covered from head to toe in an armor so black it seemed to suck in all the light in the area. The power was so great that it force team JNPR to their knees. They could only watch in morbid fascination as the tall armored figured stalked forward and grabbed Fiona tightly around her neck before lifting her up.

Fiona gritted her teeth as she stared into the monster's sinister helmet.

 _ **This is it huh…**_

 _ **At least I went down fighting, Jaune would be proud.**_

Jaune felt tears slide down his face as he looked at the scene. They could feel Fiona's acceptance and knew that she believed she was going to die.

 _ **My only regret…is that I couldn't make good on my promise and come back home…just to see the family one last time…**_

Fiona smiled as she shut her eyes.

 _ **But at least…**_

 _ **At least I get to sleep again…**_

 _ **Sleep like I did when I was a girl…**_

Fiona's body went limp as the man tossed her in the air and prepared to split her in half with the colossal blade.

 _ **Forgive me…Tieve**_

 _ **Evie…**_

 _ **Everyone…**_

Fiona's thoughts were interrupted when she felt something wrap around her waist tightly. Her eyes snapped open in surprise as she found herself being snatched backwards through the air just in time for Keaghan's blade to miss her by mere centimeters.

 _ **What!?**_

Fiona landed on the ground on her rear and looked on with wide-eyes as three people stood in front of her.

" _You trying to leave us already?"_ A man with short brown hair and dark blue eyes said with a smirk as he outstretched his hand. Like her his armor was damaged beyond repair and he had two spears strapped to his side. Pyrrha gasped as she covered her mouth in shock, tears threatening to fall from her eyes.

"L-Lann?"

"You know him?" Ren asked with a frown making the red-head nod.

"He was my mentor, taught me how to use a spear before suddenly disappearing one day. No one knew what happened to him." Pyrrha said quietly. "He was like a brother to me."

" _Lann?"_ Fiona whispered quietly in awe as the man helped her up.

" _Oh sure, give him an awe-filled look when I saved your life."_ A woman with short messy red hair that had a small braid tied in the back and green eyes said with a mischievious smirk. In her hands were two large hook-like blades that had long chains connected to them. _"You owe me a night alone with you after that."_

" _Vella? I thought you two wouldn't be combat ready."_ Fiona said in surprise making Evie nod as she held her scythe in her right hand.

" _I couldn't make everyone combat ready, but you bought me enough time to kill Lann and Vella and resurrect them, as you know my resurrection spell heals far more damage than my other techniques."_ Evie said as she narrowed her eyes at Keaghan. _"You were the only one left that had a paladin or dark knight transformation left, were stuck in our base states so we have to fight smart."_

Fiona cracked he neck before sliding back in to her combat stance as Lann pulled off his spears as Vella crouched slightly.

" _Then we end this like we started it…together."_ Fiona said making them smirk. _"Let's show him why you don't challenge the Crimson Blades!"_ Fiona said as she dashed forward with Lann as Vella flipped to the side. Keaghan leapt into the air and slammed his blade into the ground, releasing a wave of dark energy. Fiona narrowed her eyes as she slid to a knee and raised her shield.

 _ ***KRANNNNG***_

Blue spark erupted from her shield as she was sent sliding back as Lann began to spin rapidly, piercing Keaghan countless times with his spears. A black sphere of energy appeared behind Keaghan quickly before transforming into Evie who spun around with her scythe twice in rapid succession. Hopping back quickly, Evie raised her right hand with narrowed eyes.

 _ ***Snap!***_

Keaghan flinched slightly as part of his soul was ripped from his body and transformed into a small white whisp which began to repeatedly slam into him.

 _ ***BOOM!***_

Fiona blasted towards him with a burst of speed as she landed her Heavy Stander counterattack sending him sliding back across the battle field.

 _ ***Bang!***_

 _ ***Bang!***_

Keaghan fell to a knee as he was repeatedly slammed by two chain blades courtesy of a smirking Vella who was flipping around him in a circle and slamming her weapons into him while she kept a safe distance away. Evie quickly used her blink ability and appeared behind him before slashing him twice again. Keaghan spun around swiftly to behead her, only for her to blink behind him and land an overhead slash with her scythe before blinking further away.

" _Vella, get ready!"_ Evie shouted as she raised her scythe suddenly _**"Insane Reaper!"**_

 _ ***Shing!***_

Lann, Fiona, and Vella all smirked as they felt their stamina recover increase greatly as Evie re-entered the fight, attacking at speeds that almost rivaled Ruby's with her scythe.

" _Well then, let's get wild shall we?"_ Vella chuckled. _**"Heart of Ice."**_ Vella's eyes went ice blue as her heart and body went cold. Her breath fogged as she breathed. The red-head released a smirk as she slammed her blades into Keaghan from across the battlefield like a machine gun.

 _ ***BANG!***_

 _ ***BANG!*  
**_

 _ ***BANG!*  
**_

 _ ***BANG!*  
**_

 _ ***BANG!***_

Seeing a rare opportunity, Fiona stopped attacking a put all her power into her sword arm as her teammates continued their rapid onslaught.

" _ **Rose Thorns!"**_ Fiona shouted as she slammed the powerful blow into Keaghan's back.

 _ ***CRASH!***_

Part of his armor blew off due to the sheer amount of power Fiona had put behind the slash. Keaghan stumbled forward and teleported to the other side of the battlefield only for Evie to blink right in front of him. Time seemed to slow as she ducked under his mighty sword as a skull mark appeared on her left palm.

" _ **Mark of Death."**_ Evie muttered as she slapped her palm into his chest causing an ethereal skull to appear above his head and begin to eat away at his life force. Keaghan roared as he leapt up and slammed his blade into Evie but instead of killing her a green light shattered from her body as she blinked to the side. Fiona once again blocked the resulting energy wave as Lann crouched and glared at Keaghan.

" _Everyone, all out!"_ Fiona shouted making them all smirk viciously as Vella rapidly spun her chain blades.

" _Let's do this then."_ Vella said as she threw her blades at Keaghan. _**"Glacial Terminus!"**_ Vella shouted as her chains wrapped around Keaghan's entire body making him unable to move. Vella began to walk back and pull with all her might as her chains began to dig into Keaghan's body. As this went Evie ripped open a portal in front of herself that was releasing a black and red glow before hopping into it. The Scythe-wielder was invisible, only reappearing when she slashed at the bound Keaghan.

Suddenly her Scythe reappeared, its blade stabbed into the ground as she slid down its handle with her back towards Keaghan and raising her hand.

" _ **Arcane Gate."**_

 _ ***SNAP!***_

 _ ***CRASH!***_

The threads, the skull, the whisp, and even some of Keaghan's blood exploded when Evie snapped her fingers causing him to be engulfed in a pillar of black and red energy which cracked his armor. Seeing the weakness in his defenses, Vella gave one last pull which shattered a good portion of his armor. Stumbling back in pain, Keaghan didn't notice Lann making a mad dash towards him from behind.

"No one touches Fiona, but me!" Lann boomed as his body suddenly vanished in pure speed, a sonic boom destroying the ground he was on. _**"Comet Dash!"**_ Keaghan screamed in agony as Lann delivered devastating attacks in a star shaped pattern.

 _ ***SHING!*  
**_

 _ ***SHING!***_

 _ ***SHING!*  
**_

 _ ***SHING!***_

 _ ***SHING!***_

 _ ***SHING!***_

 _ ***SHING!***_

In fact, to team JNPR, all they could see was Keaghan trapped in what looked like a massive pentagram before Lann reappeared above him and slammed both of his feet into Keaghan's face, shattering his helmet before he back-flipped away from the berserk man. Pyrrha paled as she realized that the man had never taken her seriously in their spars.

Nora and Ren just realized that they may have discovered why Pyrrha was so strong.

"Guys end it!" Lann shouted before rolling backwards as Keaghan fell to a knee with his sword falling down in front of him. Evie instantly appeared behind him and slammed her Scythe into the ground.

" _ **Reverse Gravity!"**_ Evie boomed as large pieces of the ground and Keaghan began to float into the air while Fiona rose her shield.

"It's like she's Professor Goodwitch." Pyrrha muttered as the team continued to watch the flawless teamwork before them in awe. It was inspiring to say the least. Jaune's eyes widened as he watched Fiona make one last dash towards Keaghan.

" _It's time I showed you my_ _ **Crushing Assault.**_ " Fiona said coldly, a dark resolve seeming to overtake her features. The man was too far gone to be saved and it just sunk in to team JNPR that she had realized it.

 _ **This is it Keaghan, you always hid behind that armor…**_

Fiona narrowed her eyes as she watched Keaghan's body bounce up from the impact. She slashed him three times in quick succession, blood spraying everywhere as she quickly flipped her shield off of her arm and stabbed it into an open wound she made on his chest. Slamming her blade into her shield two more times, Fiona dug it deeper and deeper into his body before kicking the shield, permanently embedding into her former leader. Spinning around she kicked the shield one more time for good measure as Keaghan screamed in agony before she turned away from the man and held her sword in a reverse grip.

"Oh my God." Jaune muttered, having a similar realization to Pyrrha, that he had never seen Fiona seriously try to hurt someone before.

Fiona leapt backwards and stabbed her blade into Keaghan's collar bone before grabbing its hilt with both of her hands as she attempted to tear through his body, covering her from head to toe in his blood.

 _ **Now I'm going to blow it apart!**_

 _ **This is it…**_

 _ **Keaghan…**_

 _ **Goodbye.**_

 _ ***CRASH!***_

Fiona gritted her teeth as she ripped her sword free with one mighty pull, shattering his armor as she ripped her blade from his neck to his abdomen. Fiona stood tall, flicking his blood from her sword, her back facing Keaghan as his body rag-dolled away. Her shield which was inside Keagan fell down and stabbed into the ground before her.

If Jaune wasn't so horrified, he would have noted how badass the entire finisher looked.

 **BGM: END  
**

Suddenly JNPR was forced to shut their eyes as they were blinded by a bright light.

 _ **-?-**_

 **BGM: Mabinogi G12 Ending Theme**

JNPR blinked as they found themselves standing in a plain that was half white and half black. Looking down they could tell they were on the precipice between both sides.

" _ **You four do not need to see the results of that last chapter in the diary, you have all been accepted as potential members of the Silent Brotherhood."**_ A man wearing a grey cloak said as he appeared before them. _**"You may call me Nyle, I can grant you the power to protect everyone you care about should you show worth."**_

"Power?" Jaune questioned as he narrowed his eyes at the man. Crocea had claimed that the book would give them power as well but he had yet to get any specifics.

" _ **You caught a glimpse of it when you saw your sister's chapter in the Paladin's diary. You can either become a Paladin like her or a Dark Knight."**_ Nyle said simply. _**"However before I can grant you this power you must tell me what do you believe is the most important lesson from her chapter? This is your test."**_

JNPR frowned at the question, at first Pyrrha was going to say the lesson was to never give up but a quick glance from Jaune stopped her from answering.

"Team work." Jaune said finally making JNPR blink. "This Brotherhood is an organization right? That means teamwork is the most important part. No organization can succeed without cooperation."

" _ **I see…is that your final answer boy?"**_

"It is." Jaune said firmly. The man was silent for a moment before a small smirk graced his lips as he saw the rest of JNPR nodding as they agreed with Jaune's answer.

" _ **Then you all…pass."**_ Nyle said before outstretching his hands. _**"Come to the light to become a Paladin or recede into the darkness to become a Dark Knight."**_ Jaune and Nora didn't even hesitate as they stepped forward into the light causing a warm feeling the spread through their bodies. It was only a moment before they realized that only they went into the light.

"R-Ren?" Nora asked in confusion as Jaune looked a Pyrrha with a raised eyebrow.

"Nora you belong in the light, you'll be happy there…your happiness is all that's ever mattered to me." Ren spoke up suddenly as he softened his gaze at his childhood friend. "I'll do anything to protect your smile even protect it from the darkness so I can see things that you won't be able to." Ren said as he stepped back and winced slightly as a sharp pain hit his chest as the darkness covered him. His eyes shown bright blue as his body disappeared into the shadows. "The shadows has always been where I belong and you know that."

"And you Pyrrha?" Jaune asked as he tilted his head.

"You're our leader Jaune and I am your partner, I need to have your back." Pyrrha said firmly. "Thanks to you I have made friendships that will last a life time, I owe you far more than you know. Like Ren said I need to see what you can't see, I need to protect you when you're blinded by light." Pyrrha said as she stepped backwards and gritted her teeth at the sharp pain she felt. Her eyes shown blue as her body disappeared. "Besides this way our team stays balanced."

" _ **Then it's decided the brotherhood has two new Paladins and two new Dark Knights."**_ Nyle said as he raised his hand. _**"Go forth and become the heroes we all know you can be in the name of the goddess. I can't wait to the read your chapters."**_

 _ ***Snap!***_

 _ ***CRASH!***_

 **BGM: END**

Their surroundings shattered like glass and the four found themselves once again in their dorm room.

" _ **Well how was it? Did you get stronger?"**_ Crocea questioned as she immediately flew on top of Jaune's head. He and Nora placed a hand on their hearts and smiled as they felt a new warmth flow through them.

"Yeah I think we did." Jaune said as he and Nora smiled slightly. Ren and Pyrrha looked at their hands and they trembled slightly as they could feel a new intoxicating power rush through their blood.

"Yes, much more powerful." Pyrrha said with a smile.

"Oh my God were going to kick so much ass!" Nora cheered as she bounced on her bed. "Can we test out our strength now Jaune? Please, please, please, please, please, please–"

"Tomorrow Nora." Jaune said as he yawned. "We were gone for a while, its night time. We can figure out this power in the morning."

"Aww…" Nora pouted as she bounced.

"The faster you sleep the faster you can wake up and test it out." Ren added making her gasp before falling to her back instantly.

"Everyone sleep!" Nora ordered before falling asleep that very moment. JNPR sweat dropped at their loudest member before shaking their head and following her led.

 **-The Next Day-**

Teams RWBY and JNPR minus Blake and Jaune were talking and eating breakfast as usual, Jaune had to stay back for a moment to phone his sister and tell her that he and his team had passed the trial.

"So why didn't Killer show up?" Yang questioned curiously before smirking. "Afraid I'd ask for a rematch?"

"No way! He'd just win again!" Nora defended her leader with a grin as Pyrrha turned to the blonde.

"No he had to phone his sister…we went through some very, uh, enlightening experiences last night." Pyrrha answered

"His sister?" Ruby asked curiously making her nod.

"Yes, she serves as a guide for him." Pyrrha said as her team nodded. "We got a chance to talk to her earlier when Jaune called her."

"Fifi's so cool! It's like she's a big sister I never had plus she knows uncle Hurk which is twice as awesome!" Nora cheered making Ren face-palm.

"He isn't your uncle, he's a guy with a giant sword that you followed around when we were younger." Ren said but was completely ignored. It was then that a pale Jaune walked into the launch room.

"Guys we have a problem." Jaune said as he approached the table. "We have a code Blue." RWBY looked on in surprise as the entirety of Jaune's team instantly turned serious as if a switch had been flipped, even Nora was staring at Jaune seriously with a frown.

"This isn't a drill is it?" Pyrrha questioned curiously making him shake his head, this made the team pale slightly.

"Uh Code Blue?" Yang finally asked making Ren nod his head solemnly.

"It's a threat so dangerous that it's above code Red." Ren answered making Ruby blink in confusion.

"And what's code red?"

"Something that your team can handle. When it's bigger than that we come in." Nora said offhandedly making RWBY gape at them, more than a little offended. "Blue team, best team."

"Back to the problem at hand, what's wrong Jaune?" Ren questioned as the leader looked around the room.

"Too many ears follow me." And with that JNPR left.

 **-JNPR's Room-**

"A monster is headed to Vale." Jaune said without preamble as soon as they got situated. His team blinked for a moment as they registered what he said.

"Jaune, Vale is full of hunters I'm sure a Grimm won't be a problem." Pyrrha said as she looked at her leader.

"Wait Pyrrha, he didn't say Grimm." Ren stated making Jaune nod.

"My sister calls them fomors and this one is one of the worst." Jaune said as he sat on his bed. "Its name is Glas Ghaibhleann–"

"Glas what?" Pyrrha interrupted at the strange name.

"Glas Ghaibhleann."

"Excuse me?" This time it was Ren.

"Uh…Glas Ghaibhleann?"

"How are you even pronouncing that right now?" Nora, of all people, deadpanned making Jaune sigh.

"Moving on…" Jaune said with an eye-twitch. "It nearly cost the Crimson Blades their lives to kill it. Someone has resurrected it and sent it towards Vale." Jaune said making them pale.

"Then we have to tell the teachers–"

"I tried, didn't listen." Jaune said with a sigh. "They couldn't mobilize the amount of hunters needed to take it down on the word of a first year student. Listen guys, something big is beginning to happen. My sister told me that Keaghan's armor is missing on top of this."

"This isn't good." Ren muttered making Jaune shake his head.

"The route my sister said it was going and the speeds at which it can fly…it'll be at the city by nightfall. You guys paid attention to Oobleck's class right? If that thing destroys the wall it will be the last of our worries. Guys a lot of people are going to die." Jaune said with a pained expression.

…

…

…

"So what now?" Ren questioned as he looked at Jaune.

"Yeah Jaune, what's the plan?" Nora asked him innocently.

"We'll follow whatever you decide." Pyrrha said seriously and Jaune looked at the expectant looks of his teammates in shock. They all awaited his orders and it was then Jaune realized the weight he actually carried when becoming a leader. They were all willing to risk their lives on his command.

"It'll be hard…extremely hard…but maybe just maybe, we can pull off a miracle." Jaune muttered as he crossed his arms. "I managed to get some Intel from Fiona, its most dangerous aspect is its flight but if we get rid of at least one of its wings that should help us a lot."

"But how?" Ren questioned making Jaune frown in thought before snapping his fingers.

"Chain hooks, we can stock up on some at a local black smith and use them to rip them off." Jaune said as he turned to Ren. "That or we can get close enough to cut them off while we fight."

"But how will we land them, if it's fast enough to practically cross the globe and strong enough to take on your sister's team…then it won't just let us chain it down." Pyrrha pointed out making him nod.

"Exactly, which is why we have to stun it." Jaune said with a smirk making Pyrrha blink owlishly.

"Stun?"

"We can take it down with some Ballistae." Jaune said with a smirk. "That should be strong enough to stun it for a bit, there should be some at the local museums."

"Would the museums really be willing to lend us old war artifacts though?" Pyrrha questioned making him shake his head but his smirk never left.

"Not at all, that's where Nora and Ren come in." Jaune said making a chill go down Ren's spine. "Ren with your stealth and Nora with your strength we should be able to-uh- _borrow_ a few Ballistae from the museums."

"WOOHOO! Ren! We're going on a heist!" Nora cheered before she began to tear up suddenly. Ren looked on in shock as his childhood friend began sobbing for the first time in years.

"Nora…are...are you okay?"

"I-I j-just love this t-team so m-much!" Nora wept making Ren roll his eyes as he patted her back.

"Once they get the weapons to a safe place, say the alley behind the Dust till Dawn shop, Pyrrha you can use your semblance to move them to Glas' location which I will be spending the next few hours trying to map." Jaune explained as he pulled out his scroll. "I can search for news of weird sightings or monster attacks and map them to get an idea of what kind of course it's taking. Once we find that, we can strategically place the Ballistae down and fight it hopefully long enough for reinforcements."

"Speaking of reinforcements why not get RWBY to help?" Pyrrha questioned making Jaune sigh as he completely entered full leader mode which basically meant everything that was about to come out of his mouth would be brutally honest.

"Blake is missing, I know you all noticed that, that alone destroys their synergy. What we're about to do? It's suicide. They are good hunters Pyrrha but the only one on their team that knows why they're here is Ruby and she needs to focus on getting her team back together." Jaune explained seriously. "Also Ruby is a leader at heart, a good one, she'll make decisions she feels is best instinctively-"

"–And that's not good for you. You need to have fighters who you can guarantee will make every move you say." Ren said simply making Jaune nod. "I agree with Nora, we did get a good team…but I hope you know that if you get us killed we'll haunt you for the rest of your life."

"Noted."

"What happens when the museums send the authorities after the missing Ballistae?" Pyrrha questioned curiously making Jaune shrug.

"If Glas is a no show, blame it on that Roman guy that's been running around." Jaune shrugged making them nod. "Alright, now let's do this."

 **-Hours Later: Valean Wall-**

Jaune sat down a bench with his hood up as it rained.

" _Not good, it wasn't supposed to rain today…is this really that monsters power affecting the environment? Just what did I get myself in to?"_ Jaune thought as he shut his eyes. _"Alright maybe he'll be a no show-no don't think like that Jaune because if he doesn't show up here he'll terrorize some place that's not expecting him and more people will die. You have stop that thing here at_ _ **any**_ _cost."_

 _ ***FLAP***_

 _ ***RUMBLE***_

 _ ***CRASH***_

Jaune flinched as it began to storm and looked up to see a monster that made his blood freeze. Glas was far more demonic looking than his sister had described. It was a colossal humanoid figure with two angel wings and four arms and blazing red eyes. In two of its arms were a pair of black blades, Jaune trembled as it tossed its head back and opened its mouth revealing its spikey teeth.

 _ ***ROOOAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRR***_

 **BGM: Glas Ghaibhleann Battle Theme (Extended) - Vindictus OST**

"It's here guys!" Jaune shouted into his scroll as he got Crocea Mors battle ready.

" _ **Well that's a sight I didn't want to see again, master."**_ Crocea said with a look of disgust on her face as she floated next to Jaune.

 _ ***THOOOOOM!***_

 _ ***THOOOOOM!***_

 _ ***THOOOOOM!***_

The ground trembled as three ballistae landed at the scene as Team JNPR ran out to their leader with their weapons drawn. They were all scared shitless but as they heard the screams of the innocent behind them running in terror they realized they were the only line of defense.

"We either die heroes, or live as cowards." Jaune said suddenly as they all tightened their grips on their weapons. "Guys it was an honor." Nora shut her eyes before turning towards Ren with a glare and wrapping a hand around his collar.

"Nora–*MMPPH!*" The stoic teen was completely gob-smacked as he found himself in a passionate lip-lock.

"What the hell, no regrets." Pyrrha said suddenly before following Nora's lead and pressing her lips to Jaune's.

The knight had to have a mental reboot as a tongue was shoved down his throat.

"Alright let's do this!" Nora shouted as Pyrrha released Jaune and raised her shield. The blond shook his head to get out of his stupor and gave his partner a look that screamed that they would talk about this surprising (To him anyway) development if they lived. Jaune glared up at Glas whom glared right back at him.

Blue eyes met red and with that the four teens charged the demon.

Glass roared as it blasted forward towards them with both of its blades aimed to dismembered them all in on go. Ren, being the fastest, ran a head of them and hopped onto the blade where he began to run the creatures warm while shooting it. Both Pyrrha and Nora barrel rolled under the blades as Jaune slid to a knee and raised his shield.

 _ ***KRANNNNNNG***_

Both blades bounced from his shield as blue sparks flew in front of him while he slid back.

 _ ***BANG!***_

Pyrrha's aim was true as her spear blasted right into Glas' left eye sending blood flying everywhere but unfortunately that wasn't enough to end the beast. Glas roared as blue blasts of fire began striking the ground forcing Ren to retreat away from the monster's body. Jaune blasted forward to perform his counter attack as Glass stabbed its left blade it the ground before swinging its right blade in a wide arc. Time seemed to slow as Jaune barely ducked under the blade, the wind blowing his hood off, as he leapt up and slammed his shield into the monster making it step back.

" _ **RAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"**_ Jaune glared as he felt the ground tremble from the monsters roar and quickly turned to Pyrrha.

"Ballista!" Jaune ordered making her nod.

"On it!" Pyrrha said as she ran to one of the nearby weapons. Jaune cursed as he saw that the monster was about to take flight.

" _ **Pink Lotus!"**_ Jaune shouted making Nora nod as she ran to Ren and grabbed his arm tightly. She spun him around twice before throwing him at the demon. Ren used his blades as he ran into and up the monster's body like a cyclone slashing it the entire time forcing it to collapse back to its feet. Unfortunately for him the monster managed to grab him with its upper right arm.

 _ ***BANG!***_

The Ballista's blast resounded through the battlefield as Pyrrha shot the large spear into the monsters chest, stunning it as more blood sprayed down to the battlefield. Seeing his moment, Jaune threw his blade high in to the air-increasing the strength of the throw with his aura.

" _ **Nora's Arc!"**_ Jaune shouted making the orange-haired huntress drop her weapon and run to him as he slid to a knee and raised his shield. Nora leapt onto the shield and Jaune used his aura enhanced strength to send her blasting through the air towards his blade. Nora caught the blade and held it above her head with both hands and if by the grace of God, a thunderbolt slammed into Nora, supercharging her as a manic grin split her face. It was then that she released a roar and descended upon the monster with a glare.

 _ ***Flashback***_

" _What's the point of teaching me this Jauney!" Nora pouted. "Swords are too weak, they always break when I use all my strength that's why I use Magnhild!"_

" _Trust me, Nora. Crocea won't break, stronger have tried." Jaune said with a smile as he handed her his blade. "Now…just find your center."_

 _ ***Flashback: End***_

" _ **Focal Point!"**_ Nora shouted as she used the move Jaune taught her, however her arc was pink unlike his golden one and was at least ten times bigger and covered in electricity. Glas managed to move to the side to avoid the fatal attack but it cost him his upper right arm and part of his right wing. Ren flipped recovered in mid-air as he was freed from the monster and landed on his feet.

 _ ***SHINNNNGGG***_

 _ ***BOOOOOOOOM!***_

"Now!" Jaune shouted as he and Nora shot two Chain hooks into the injured wing and ripped it off with a mighty pull.

 _ ***SCHTICK***_

Glas screeched in agony as it formed a large blue fireball which split into four parts and blasted at JNPR at blinding speeds. Jaune barely had enough time to raise his shield but the blast was too strong for his regular guard and overwhelmed him quickly. Things weren't looking all too good for his team either whom also found themselves overwhelmed by the attacks. The four struggled to stand as Glas flew into the sky and began swinging wildly with his blades before descending at break-neck speeds and releasing a powerful slash that sent the four flying from the battlefield and towards a nearby building.

 _ ***CRASH!***_

 _ ***CRASH!***_

 _ ***CRASH!***_

 _ ***CRASH!***_

Jaune's vision began to blur and he could glance to the side to see his team was barely clinging on to consciousness. He gritted his teeth in anger as Glas released fireballs into the city, the screams of the citizen seemed to feed the monstrosity's rage.

" _ **Get up master!"**_ Crocea said with a glare as she landed on his chest.

 _ ***Ba-dump!***_

" _ **All of you get up!"**_

 _ ***Ba-dump!***_

" _ **You got power last night right? Then release it!"**_ Crocea ordered as a pain in Jaune's chest increased more and more as he struggled to stand. A bright light seemed to be released from his heart as he felt the power he gained the previous day attempt to rip from his body.

Nora groaned as she too was engulfed by a light as a warm feeling filled the deepest parts of her being. She rose slowly as she felt the pain slowly disappear. Her eyes met Glas' as she stood next to her illuminated leader.

Pyrrha stumbled next to Jaune before she fell to a knee and rose her trembling palm in front of her incredulously as tendrils of darkness broke free from her skin. Sweat slid down her face as her eyes shone bright blue.

Ren stood up next to Nora but fell to his knees as he held his head in agony as the intoxicating strength began to claw itself from under his skin. His irises shone bright blue as he was engulfed by darkness.

 _ ***FLASH***_

 _ ***BOOOOOOOOOM!***_

As one JNPR exploded in power, Jaune and Nora were blinded by light as Pyrrha and Ren were engulfed by darkness. Jaune and Nora stood tall in twin suits of bright white armor, their faces completely obscured by a white helmet that had black feathers protruding from its sides. The tassets of their armors were made of pitch black feathers which reached the back of their knees. Their weapons were now covered with a white metal that shaped them into a more heavenly appearance as a golden light engulfed the weapons.

In contrast, Pyrrha and Ren were covered in a black metallic substance which covered them from head to toe, though in Pyrrha's case it left little to the imagination as only her legs, head, half of her torso, and arms were covered by the metal. Pyrrha's hair had gone pitch black and her chest and rear were covered by a black fleshy substance that fit her like a second skin. The substance covered both of their faces which were visible beneath the helmets and their eyes shone bright blue. Their weapons took on a more demonic black metal theme and were covered by darkness.

All four's weapons had also increased slightly in length as well.

" _ **What!? Why is mine so revealing!?"**_ Pyrrha snapped angrily she looked down at her breasts. _**"I'm practically naked!"**_

" _ **We'll worry about that later, these forms are burning our power so we have to make them count we probably only have a minute or so max to hold it, let's go!"**_ Jaune ordered as they charged forward towards Glas. Nora mecha-shifted her weapon into a grenade launcher and began releasing blast after blast into Glas. The Monster roared as it stabbed its left blade into the ground and released a massive slash towards them. _**"Aegis!"**_ Jaune shouted as both he and Pyrrha slid to a knee and raised their shields to block the swing. A gold flash of light erupted from their shields as the blade was sent flying from Glas' hand.

 _ ***RATATATATATATA***_

A storm of black bullets slammed into to Glas as Ren ran forward and as soon as he got close enough he used his blades to slash wildly into Glas' body. The reach of his weapons extended to the point it looked as though he were releasing black arcs of energy whenever he attacked.

 _ ***BANG!***_

Pyrrha released her spear into Glas' left eye and ripped it free with her semblance viciously, blinding the monster. Pyrrha then threw her shield into its face with enough force to shatter a few of its teeth before bringing her shield back to her. Jaune roared as he spun around and delivered a well-placed amaranth kick to the monster's shin, shattering it easily and sending bits of flesh and blood flying onto his armor. The beast fell to a knee as Pyrrha shifted her weapon into a rifle and began to blast it as Nora ran forward and slammed her hammer into its head with crippling amounts of force.

 _ ***SHTICK!***_

Ren leapt onto its back and grabbed its left wing tightly in his right hand and began to carve away at it with one of his blades.

" _ **Pyrrha hold it down!"**_ Jaune commanded making her nod as she stabbed her spear into the ground and raise her hands. The monster's dropped blade and the Ballista ammo all floated into the air before she whipped both of her hands toward it sending the projectiles slamming into its body and pinning it into the ground. Jaune climbed onto the monster's back and grabbed ahold to the wing Ren was carving. The men nodded at each other before releasing a roar as they ripped the wing from Glas' back, showering them in blood. The two leapt off and landed by the rest of their team as they looked up at the monster.

" _ **We're going to need a shower."**_ Ren muttered as the beast screeched in agony sending blue fire blasting everywhere which sent Team JNPR blasting backwards as the monsters ripped itself free from its restraints. Jaune slid back on his feet as his team tumbled back just as their transformations ended. Their armors shattered and Pyrrha gritted her teeth as she landed on her right arm, breaking it in the process. The now blind and wingless monster grabbed its dropped blade and began swinging wildly in all directions with its blades as it released blue fire.

"What now Jaune?" Pyrrha questioned through gritted teeth as pain shot through her arm. The transformations apparently did not come without a cost as their clothes were ripped asunder by the power they released. All four stood in nothing tattered remains of their normal clothing and their inner armor, hell even Pyrrha's hair band and circlet were shattered. Jaune narrowed his eyes as he collapsed his shield and stuck it to his side. He knelt down and grabbed Pyrrha's spear and quickly turned it into its sword form.

" _ **Slashing High."**_ Jaune said as he slid into a battle stance Pyrrha had taught him. His body exploded in light as Crocea was held tightly in his right hand and Miló was held in a reverse grip in his left hand. Jaune narrowed his eyes as he stared at the beast. _**"Arkos."**_

"It hasn't been tested yet! That's suicide Jaune!" Pyrrha said incredulously making him snort.

"This whole plan was." Jaune said before glancing back at her with a sad smile. "I trust you Pyrrha, I know you have my back. Now let's go." Pyrrha shut her eyes in pain before raising her hand towards Jaune causing the blades and parts of his fragmented armor to be covered in black energy. Flicking her wrist Jaune was sent blasting forward at speeds that would give Ruby a run for her money. The monster sniffed the air and instantly turned to Jaune and raised its blades.

Time slowed as Jaune's blades met Glas' as he glared at the demon.

 _ ***BOOOOOOOOOOOM!***_

The ground was ripped apart by a shock wave as the two began to clash their blades as Aura blasted from Jaune in waves.

 **-With RWBY-**

The newly reassembled team RWBY had just gotten Blake back when they were alerted to an explosion in the distance. The four wasted no time to go check it out, sure that it was another one of Roman's schemes. They were expecting to see the White Fang, but what they did fine made their jaws drop.

They watched in disbelief as Jaune went toe to toe with a monster that was ripped from their worst nightmares with nothing but two blades and shattered armor. He flew around the creature and would avoided the monster's attacks as if he were being pulled and pushed around them.

"What the hell is going on!?" Yang shouted incredulously as Ruby pulled out her scythe.

"What in Remnant is that thing!?" Weiss questioned as she instantly pulled out her blade to go help the blond buffoon.

"Quick we have to help Jaune, get into positions!" Ruby ordered only for them to freeze at the sound of someone clearing their throats.

"Not so fast Ms. Rose, I do believe team JNPR can handle this." Ozpin said as he approached with his signature mug and an angered Glynda.

"Are you out of your mind? They're children! We have to stop this!" Glynda said making the man hum as he turned her.

"Just wait a minute old friend, I'm sure they will surprise us…those four…they aren't meant to be hunters." Ozpin said making Glynda blink in confusion.

"Then what are they?"

"Heroes." Ozpin chuckled.

 **-With Jaune-**

" _ **Master! The only way we can defeat this monster is if you use me!"**_ Crocea shouted as Jaune and Glas parried each other's weapons and struggled for dominance, a herculean feat for Jaune for even with Pyrrha's help and his aura the monster was far stronger than he was.

 **BGM: END**

"How do I do that!?"

" _ **You have to WANT to KILL it. Understand? This whole fight you've been trying to protect and that's good but to use me you have to forget about that and only focus on killing!"**_ Crocea shouted as his arms trembled.

Jaune's arms trembled as he glared at the monster. That creature…that monster…that demon wanted nothing but destruction and despair. It could have killed so many people with no remorse…

…it had no right to live.

 _ ***FLASH***_

" _ **That's it Master!"**_ Crocea shouted as the blade began to glow gold. She aimed both of her hands towards the blade as she floated above Jaune. Jaune shouted as he knocked the beast's blade back with all of his might sending Glas stumbling back. Pyrrha's blade fell from his hand as his left arm broke from the effort.

 **BGM: Sword of Promised Victory- Fate/Zero OST**

Jaune raised Crocea high into the air as it exploded into pure golden energy. Its weight was incredible, the ground beneath his feet shattered as he struggled to hold it.

"Holy shit!? Jaune exclaimed incredulously and just as he was sure his arm was going to give when he felt a hand grab his around the blades' hilt. Glancing to the side his eye's widened as he saw what looked like an older Crocea Mors holding the sword. She was cloaked in gold armor, hair was long and orange, and her eyes burned bright red. The blades on her wings seemed far deadlier as well. The beast trembled as she glanced up at it.

" _ **I see you finally remember me you foul beast…I am Crocea Mors, the Yellow Death…and now…"**_ Crocea muttered as she tightened her grip over Jaune's hand, her face devoid of mercy.

"…It's time…" Jaune continued as he tightened his grip.

" _ **To die!"**_ Jaune and Crocea shouted as they brought the blade down releasing a powerful golden arc of light which split Glas in half as well as blew up a good amount of the battlefield in a golden blaze of power.

 _ ***FLASH!***_

 _ ***BOOOOOOOOOOM!***_

Jaune smiled as he was engulfed by the golden explosion. They had done it, they had saved them and destroyed the monster, but most importantly his team survived...a tear escaped his eyes as the light covered him completely…

…He only wished that he could be there to see how they turned out.

 **BGM: END**

 **+1 Title: Hero of Vale**

 **+1 Title: Glas Ghaibhleann Eradicator**

 **+1 Decomposed Glas Ghaibhleann Leather**

 **+1 Glas Ghaibhleann's Chipped Hook**

 **+1 Glas Ghaibhleann's Rusty Nail Fragment**

 **+1 Glas Ghaibhleann's Torn Pants**

 **-?-**

 **BGM: Eternal- Rie Tanaka**

Jaune blinked as he found himself lying in a plain of white. His head was on something soft and looking up he found that he was resting on the mysterious white-haired woman's lap.

"Ah you're awake." The woman said gently with a smile.

"Where am I?" Jaune asked in confusion.

"The Soulstream, this is where all Millitians come when they perish." Nao explained making him grimace.

"So I really died?"

"I'm afraid so. You overexerted your power too much and were too close to the explosion. Your body and soul took too much damage from the fight and your heart gave out." Nao said sadly. "Still, you destroyed Glas Ghaibhleann once and for all and that is no small feat. You truly are a special child."

"So what now?" Jaune asked quietly.

"You have a few choices, you can be reborn in Erinn as a new person or simply go there as you are now, and you can also be resurrected in Remnant as you still have a destiny there." Nao explained as her expression softened "You do not have to return there, you will only face even more pain and even harder battles…you have done more than most Millitians have for the goddess. It is okay to rest now."

"I would like to go back." Jaune said after a moment of thought. "Like you said I still have a destiny and people are depending on me." Jaune said making Nao frown before nodding her head sadly.

"If that is what you wish." Nao said as she brushed back some of her hair and leaned down to press her lips to his instantly sending a surge warmth through his very being. "The fights will only get worse, but I faith in you my little Millitian." Her smile was the last thing Jaune saw as his eye lids got heavier and heavier before closing.

 **-Vale-**

The rain seemed to come down harder as Jaune lay in a large puddle of blood and water.

"Do you see what you've done you fool!" Glynda snapped angrily at a frowning Ozpin. "The boy _died, my student_ died! I could have prevented it but I let your foolishness persuade me otherwise! His death is on me, I have to explain to his family why he won't come home!" Glynda shouted as Pyrrha wept on Jaune's chest as Ren held a sobbing Nora. There was not a single dry eye in team RWBY as they watched the still form of their friend.

"Please Jaune, wake up." Pyrrha whispered sadly as Ren placed a hand on her shoulder.

"It's too late, he left the world as he was meant to-as a hero." Ren said quietly making her heart clench. Yang was whispering something to her sister who had buried her head into her shoulder and wept. No one had noticed Jaune's wounds begin to heal or his body stir slightly as the rain landed on his body. Slowly he opened eyes after his soul had re-entered his body.

"Damn am I going to feel this in the morning." Jaune muttered making Pyrrha tense and look back to him slowly as if she had seen a ghost.

"J-Jaune?" Pyrrha questioned making everyone stop what they were doing and turn to the knight.

"Next time…remind me to make a campfire before a fight to the death." Jaune said dryly with a weak smile as he propped himself up on his elbows. Tears filled her eyes as she lunged forward and held him in a tight embrace. Jaune patted her back as her shoulders shook with emotion. Looking at the stunned team RWBY Jaune weakly pointed towards Glas' corpse and smirked.

"Beat that. Blue team, best team." Jaune chuckled making Ren shake his head as Nora was torn between crying and laughing.

"Only you Jaune." Ren muttered good-naturedly.

"You were saying." Ozpin asked innocently as he sipped his coffee with a raised eyebrow as Glynda looked on in disbelief.

"Impossible his aura was gone and his vital had shut down…are you telling me he came back through sheer will!?" Glynda asked incredulously as Ozpin walked away.

"There is much we still don't know about this world." Ozpin said before glancing back at her. "Next time, have a little faith." Glynda could only shake her head as she watched the man leave before turning back to her students.

She didn't know why but she felt as though she were watching the people that would revolutionize the world.

 **BGM: END**

 **-Days Later: Rocheste: Bar-**

"So now he's considered a hero of Vale!" Fiona said with a laugh as she and her fellow mercenaries ate dinner and drunk their beers.

"Gotta say Fifi that little brother of yours is going to go far." Lann said with a laugh. "His team as well."

"I must admit, killing that monstrosity is quite impressive." Evie said with a smile as she read her spell book. "Even if he does live in…Vale." Evie said the last part with a slight grimace.

"You know one day you're going to have to tell us why you have a problem with Vale Evie." Lann said with a sigh.

"Oh you don't know?" Vella said with a laugh making the Scythe wielder glare at her.

"She got her ass dumped by some guy who was way too old for her if you ask me, what was his name again? Qrow?" Vella questioned only to find herself ducking under a book thrown by the mage.

"Seriously?" Fiona deadpanned at the scythe wielder whom rolled her eyes. "How serious was that relationship?"

"He had the cutest niece ever, she even called me auntie! To be honest I miss my little cookie buddy more than that old son of a bitch. I mean, I taught her _one_ magic trick and he freaked out! But yet he let her play with giant scythes and guns." Evie pouted as she picked at her food.

"Back on topic, kid has talent I'll give you that." Karok said as he dug into his meal. The massive man was astounded that four brats could actually kill something that had taken them such a long time back when they had first started out. A man with spiky brown hair shook his head as he placed down his mug.

"I still can't believe that little orange haired stalker of mine actually became a huntress." Hurk groaned as he placed his head in his hands. "She's going to kill them all."

"Especially my brother." A calm voice said making him turn to the archer of the group, Kai. "Perhaps I shouldn't have left him to his own devices when our village fell."

"But still…" A girl of about sixteen years of age with long black twin-tails garbed in a silk dress began as she polished her massive glaive. "I know it's rare for the ice-queen or _her majesty_ to actually show emotion but won't your sisters get pissed when she finds out what happened?"

"Oh please Lynn. Delia is on a mission and Arisha decided to sleep in for once." Fiona said with a dismissive wave. "As long as you all shut the hell up, she won't ever find out that Jaune had to fight Glas Ghaibhleann or that I went back to train him…" Fiona trailed off when she noticed her friends all paled as Vella and Kai gestured for her to shut the hell up. Fiona took a deep breath before sighing. "Fuck. Which one is behind me?"

"Guess." A calm sultry voice said from behind her that somehow conveyed nothing but ill-intent which made Fiona shudder slightly as she slowly glanced back.

"H-hi Ari…o-on a scale of one to ten, how pissed are you?" Fiona stuttered out as she heard a blade being drawn.

"Oh if only numbers went that high."

… **Auto-Saving…**

 **Next Level: PVP: Arc vs. Arc! Jaune vs. Arisha**

 **Reviews:**

 **Plasma Dragon 312: The next chapter…is TODAY. Glad you liked it.**

 **Najdrox: Lol thanks, glad you like it!**

 **AJ Lexie: Lol IMO the more fucked up, the funnier it is XD.**

 **Arrankor: Glad you like it, like I said its going to be similar for the time being. The main issue is cleaning up somethings and fixing some plot points.**

 **Garoorar: Glad it's a bit easier on the eyes for you.**

 **Antfig: Lol you're welcome!**

 **EiNyx: I have some plans for the pairings, it might seem to be Arkos for now mainly because that's the girl he spends most of his time around at the moment.**

 **Shunshinking: Glad you like it!**

 **Stakler: Here's more!**

 **Killjoy Funny Man: I hope so!**

 **Angel the Angelic Demon: Well I'm his assistant Rebuff, using his page to clean up some old stories till he gets back to writing. The plot points are his, but I'm the one stringing them together for him. Think of this is a collaboration if anything. Glad you liked the chapter!**

 **Blood Fluffies: Your pen name is both amusing and amazing, glad you like the story!**

 **~Read and review and always be beautiful**

 **~RebuffX7**


	3. Level 2 (Betaed)

**READ Before I start let me explain something important that i've noticed: Fiona, Arisha, and Delia (Jaune's sisters) are NOT OCs. They are Vindictus characters. Like you can google and find pictures and game play of them specifically. I'll even help those of you who are curious out.**

 **Fiona: Youtube the video titled "My Fiona killing Kakrish with the new Ultimate skill-Crushing Assault" (Please not that this is NOT my Fiona either)**

 **Arisha: Youtube "Mabinogi Heroes (Vindictus)- Arisha Gameplay- Skills Showcase (No UI)-Test Server-KR"**

 **Delia: Youtube "Mabinogi Heroes Delia Final Trailer"**

 **In fact, i'll go update chapter 1 with this info as well. Now back to you regularly scheduled chapter.**

 **[CAUTION!: If you are reading this, it has not been Betaed yet. If you would like a slightly higher quality experience, please wait until this warning is replaced with the Beta's stamp of approval. You've been warned. (See previous chapter 1 for an example)]**

 **I've decided that when a chapter is betaed I will delete the old chapter and reupload so that you can get an alert rather than simply replacing it. This way people who are waiting don't have tokeep checking up. Also the chapter title in the drop down menu will have"betaed" next to it.**

 **Alright just like in the original fic, this chapter we'll FINALLY have some levels established to give an idea of where the characters stand. Note to lessen some confusion regarding the game elements let me explain.**

 **In this story, unlike your usual gamer fics, the characters themselves aren't exactly aware of the game elements. The sole purpose of them in this story is to monitor their growth in comparison to the world around them and to keep track of items that they will utilize later in crafting, etc. It's an aid for the readers more so than the actual characters.**

 **Disclaimer: Guess what I own, nothing.**

 **Levels**

 **JNPR:**

 **Jaune- 45**

 **Nora-48**

 **Ren-46**

 **Pyrrha-50**

 **RWBY:**

 **Ruby-45**

 **Weiss-47**

 **Blake-47**

 **Yang-49**

 **Crimson Blades-90**

 **Featured BGMs:**

 _ **Mabinogi G15- Ending credits-Mabinogi OST**_

 _ **Sword of Promised Victory-Fate/Zero OST**_

 _ **Rise and Shine- Motivation (Just YouTube, it's not a song.**_

 _ **Cold Steel Coffin- NieR OST**_

 _ **Ingkells- Theme**_

 _ **PVP (Version 1) Extended- Vindictus OST**_

 _ **Song of the Ancients (Fate)- NieR OST**_

 _ **This will be the Day-RWBY OST**_

 _ **Time to Say Goodbye- RWBY Volume 2 OST**_

 _ **Regina- Vindictus OST**_

 _ **Maplestory Red First Impact intro- Maplestory OST**_

 **Level 2: PVP: Arc vs. Arc: Jaune vs. Arisha**

 **-Over 100 years ago: Erinn-**

 _ **BGM: Mabinogi G15- Ending credits-Mabinogi OST**_

 _A tall man clad in bright white armor fell to his knees in exhaustion as his helmet shattered revealing a young man with short blond hair and blue eyes that were as cold as ice. On his back was a pair of black angel wings that wrapped around him protectively as he glared up at a winged figure in the sky_

" _ **Arc, my champion, why have you raised your blade against me?"**_ _An angelic voice questioned as the figured lowered itself revealing a woman garbed in a white gown. Her hair and wings were so black that they seemed to suck in all of the light in the area. The woman kept her eyes closed as she tilted her head at the man._

" _Lady Morrighan why have you forsaken us, your children!?" The man questioned angrily. "You are attempting to destroy us all! I thought the Millitians were your chosen-if I let you have access to this continent you'll wipe us away! Have we not served you faithfully?"_

" _ **The fact that I need to boost my own power at all to wipe you all out is reason enough for your extinction."**_ _Morrighan said calmly._ _ **"I've let all of you Millitians, my children, go unchecked for too long. Your power has grown far too much, you are nothing but a threat to yourselves."**_

" _How does destroying us, save us from doom? Either way we die!" The knight shouted as he stood up angrily._

" _ **You will die either way, can you not see my child? I love you all so much that I cannot watch you go through decades of self-destruction like those foolish humans. I would rather take you all out swiftly and painlessly by my own hand then watch you torture yourselves with war and chaos."**_

" _That's insanity…so many years, reincarnation after reincarnation I have served you faithfully, slaughtered countless Fomors and you repay me with death?" The Champion questioned with a glare as the hilt of his blade began to glow._

" _ **Master…"**_ _Crocea whispered quietly as the man raised the weapon high above his head with both hands. Morrighan's eyes snapped open as she glared at the man with two bright blue glowing irises that threatened to pierce through his very soul._

" _ **You dare raise your blade to me? I who have turned you into a demigod? I who gave you the breath of life?"**_ _The goddess questioned curiously as she raised her right hand igniting it in a blue energy._ _ **"You can barely stand on your own two feet."**_ _Hot tears fell from the man's eyes as he glared at her._

" _I can't let you harm so many innocents…forgive me, my lady." The man said as his blade began to glow._

 _ **BGM: END**_

 _ **BGM: Sword of Promised Victory-Fate/Zero OST**_

 _Crocea Mors exploded in a golden light as the ground beneath the man shattered._

" _ **So you truly intended to end me…foolish boy do you think your power is even remotely close to mine? You cannot face me alone."**_

" _Then it's a good thing he's not alone wench!" A voice shouted loudly making her eyes narrow as a brown haired young man whom had hazel eyes and a bow strapped to his back landed next to the Knight. "I have found it, Arc!" The man shouted as he held up a small bright blue crystal. "The Mana stone of legend!"_

" _William!" The knight said in surprise while the goddess glared at the newcomer._

" _ **Human scum…hand over the stone now."**_ _Morrighan commanded angrily._ _ **"I have no time for your games, Shakespeare-I thought I told you to stay out of this world's problems."**_

 _ **(Fun Fact: Shakespeare, our Shakespeare was actually a character in Mabinogi and a bit of a badass)**_

" _I will never abandon an ally when needed most vile woman." The man said before smirking. "For I am an English gentleman!" William declared before raising the crystal high above his head making the knight tremble as he found his power increasingly rapidly causing Crocea to shine even brighter before turning bright white._

" _ **Master! I am intoxicated with power! End this now!"**_ _Crocea shouted as the man gripped the blade tightly._

" _Yes Arc, I do believe it is time for this play's final act!" Shakespeare shouted as Arc stepped forward._

" _Forgive me, my Lady…but there comes a time when we all must die and you are no exception!" The man shouted as he brought his blade down upon the woman whom tried to block it with a barrier of light to no avail._

" _ **ARC!"**_ _The goddess boomed as she was engulfed by light._

 _ ***FABOOOOOOOOOOOOOM***_

 _A white dome of pure energy exploded upon contact and engulfed the battlefield before growing and racing over the entire continent._

 _ **BGM: END**_

 _ **-?-**_

" _Arc, wake up my good man!" A voice shouted making the knight open his eyes to find himself and William floating in a plane of white above the continent._

" _Will? What's going on?"_

" _You've done it!" The man chuckled before raising the Mana stone. "The goddess is gone, and we can use this to get ourselves back home."_

" _No, on the contrary all I've done is buy us some much needed time." The Knight said solemnly. "For Millitians, reincarnation is child's play…do you think it's any different for her? It's only a matter of time before an oracle is born that she can possess and use as her new body. The only thing we can do is take that stone and hide this continent away before she can continue this plan."_

" _It wouldn't be a good story without a tragic end I suppose." William mused before looking at the crystal. "Perhaps I should simply bring you and this continent back to my world?"_

" _No, that will be the first place she checks, and your people are not equipped to handle her." The Knight said before outstretching his hand, gesturing for William to toss him the stone. "I'll send you home and find a new planet to hide this continent away at."_

" _Good luck old friend." William said as he tossed the gem to the Knight. "Where are you thinking of heading?"_

" _Wherever this thing sends me, after you get home it will only have enough power for one leap-I only have one shot at this." The Knight said as William was engulfed in a bright light._

" _Farewell Arc, I have never met a more chivalrous warrior."_

" _It's been a pleasure Will." The knight grinned as he closed his hand over the crystal._

 _ ***FLASH!***_

 _ **-Later: Remnant-**_

 _The Knight fell into the world of remnant unconsciously with a smile on his face as he knew he succeeded in giving his species a little more time. Perhaps one day another warrior could succeed where he failed and make Morrighan see the error of her ways._

 _As he fell down to Remnant his paladin transformation finally died down, the armor shattering like glass and taking his wings with it. His hand was wrapped tightly around the crystal, for even only containing a fraction of its former power it was still a reminder of what he's done._

 _Years later the Knight would later head first into another battle to protect Vale in the Great War. On his travels he would later take in a young rabbit Faunus girl that was orphaned by the war. It will be thanks to her that he would later remember what it means to be a hero and bring an end to the conflict. The young girl would later grow to be a beautiful woman…_

… _A woman the Knight was proud to call his wife._

 _ **-Ten Years before Jaune enters Beacon-**_

 _It was late at night when the Arc patriarch sat down and stared at his three eldest children with a frown. It was hard for him to do this, but he had to follow the Arc traditions, it was time he told the three their roles in life._

" _Dad what's going on?" Jaune, the youngest of the three and the only male child he had asked with wide-eyes. He was only seven years old but the Arc patriarch knew that the boy would be able to grasp the seriousness of the situation-of all the Arcs he had possibly the sharpest mind that had ever been shown at that age. He would be quite the tactician one day which sadly seemed impossible with the boy's lack of combat ability. Still, despite his flaws the man loved the boy all the same. "And why isn't Delia here?"_

" _I need to speak to you all privately for you all are the eldest, even if it's only by a few minutes in your case my son. Your three are all old enough to finally learn your roles in life." Their father said making them look at him in confusion. "As you know our family has been at the forefront of many battles, each generation has their own legend and as such our family has a bit of influence. It's because of this, however, that we need to maintain our power."_

" _W-what do you m-mean?" The middle child with blonde pigtails stuttered out shyly. She was only ten years old and unlike many Arcs, she was shy to a fault. Around her neck was a necklace that had a dull blue crystal as the pendent. Her thick glasses, braces, and acne had made her a target for bullies and only made her even shyer than she already was. She was teased mercilessly…at least until Fiona found out then the bullies found themselves in the hospital while Jaune tried to comfort his second oldest sister. The boy wasn't a fighter, but despite being seven he was good at damage control._

" _What I mean is, you three play an important role in the next generation of Arcs. There have never been this many children in a single generation before, so I have to split up the responsibilities." Their father said as he softened his gaze at his daughter. "Fiona as the oldest it is your duty to keep up our prestige and strengthen our connections. You will be groomed into a fine woman and will eventually be married off."_

" _What!?" Fiona shouted as she stood up with a glare. "That's bullshit-"_

" _Fiona." The man cut the thirteen year old off with narrowed eyes. "Do you think I like it? Do you honestly think that I want to give you way? You're my daughter and as much as I would like to say you can go follow your dreams, this is the real world and you have a duty to your family." The Arc patriarch said seriously making the teen grit her teeth as she sat down. "All I can promise you is that you will marry someone you can love-I can promise you that much."_

" _I hate you so much." Fiona whispered as she narrowed her eyes at the man and he felt his heart break at her expression. He always knew she was a free spirit and it hurt him to chain her down. "Is there no way for me to get out of this?"_

" _Yes there is actually but you won't like it." The man said with a frown. "You can disown us as your family but the responsibility will fall to one of your other sisters. We know you Fifi, we would all understand if you left but could you really make one of your sisters do something you couldn't do?"_

" _No…" Fiona whispered after her sister flinched thinking that the teen was going to do just that. "Is that the only way?"_

" _You could also increase our prestige by yourself but to do that would take a tremendous amount of work. You'd basically have to become a legend." The man said simply and fought back a smirk as he saw a strange fire burning in the teen's eyes. "You think you can do that Fifi?"_

" _Of course." Fiona said seriously "And I won't need your help to do it, it's in my blood."_

" _We'll see in time." The Man said before turning to the middle-child. "As for you, unfortunately being the second eldest you have to carry on our legacy. It's why I gave you the family stone you keep around your neck. Every generation needs a warrior and that responsibility has fallen to you." The Man said making the girl squeak in fear._

" _Are you insane dad?" Fiona asked incredulously. "She's afraid of her own shadow she can't be a warrior-no offense." Fiona added as she glanced at her sister whom just nodded knowing that Fiona only had genuine concern for despite how poorly worded it may be._

" _I'm sorry but that is just the way it is, she wouldn't be the first shy Arc to become a soldier." The Man said confidently. "I will teach her everything I know and turn her into an Arc your generation would be proud to follow in to combat." The Arc patriarch said as the middle-child shook in her seat with tears sliding down her face. She hated fighting, she hated conflict, she was a coward and nothing her father said or did would change how weak she was in the end. She simply had no drive or reason to become a hero._

" _Í-is there a-anyway I-I can get out of this?" The girl asked timidly making the man nod._

" _Sure you can pass on the responsibility to Jaune." Their father said making the boy look up in confusion as she tensed. The girl loved her family more than anything in the world, especially her siblings. They always did their best to make sure she was happy and never looked down on her for being a failure...well Delia did but she also tried to push her to be better. Jaune had helped her through so much and helped with her depression tremendously, she adored him to no end._

 _Which was why she couldn't let him take on this position._

 _As much as she loved him, his lack of combat skill was on par with her's, the only difference was that he actually wanted to be a warrior which made his failures that much worse. He'd get killed on a battlefield and she wouldn't be able to live with herself if he died because she was too afraid to fight. With that in her mind she had decided that at the end of the day if anyone died she rather it be her than her little brother._

" _O-Ok…I-I accept m-my position…" The girl stuttered out as both siblings looked at her with a mix of shock and horror. Their father was beaming with pride for he knew what must have gone through her mind at the time. She put others before herself and that would be the thing that helped her become strong._

" _Now for Jaune, my boy, you are the only son I have and it's your job to carry on the Arc name." The man said as Jaune looked up at him in confusion. "Your mother gave birth to the last sibling you're going to have and out of eight children you are the only male. Your main role in life is to simply create the next generation but make no mistake you have an important responsibility."_

" _What do you mean dad?" Jaune asked in confusion before turning to his sister whom placed a hand on his shoulder._

" _I-It m-means y-you c-can do what y-you want with your life…but if s-something h-happens to you, t-the family n-name can't continue." The shy girl informed him._

" _Now that we have that out of the way, you three get to bed." The man said as he stood up before turning to the middle-child. "Your combat lessons start next week Ari."_

" _Y-y-yes dad."_

 **-Present Day: JNPR Dorm-**

Jaune awoke tiredly as he heard the alarm on his scroll go off. Sitting up with a groan, Jaune yawned as he placed his feet on the ground before picking up his scroll which was flashing five o'clock. Jaune rubbed his eyes tiredly as Nora and Ren began to wake up, Pyrrha appeared to have been awake for a while now and was in the middle of doing push-ups. The fact she was in the hundreds meant she had been up for a while.

"Crazy woman." Jaune chuckled tiredly as he plugged head phones into his scroll and pressed play.

 **BGM: Rise and Shine- Motivation (Just YouTube, it's not a song.)**

Jaune stood up and stretched his arms before glancing down at his chest that was covered with light scars from the battle with Glas. He lightly touched them with his fingers with a faint smile, they were barely visible but he felt pride when he saw them for they were proof that he was going on the right track.

Still he couldn't get comfortable, he had to get stronger especially if he was expected to lead his little band of monsters. It was with that thought that Jaune grabbed his hoody from under his bed and tossed it over his shoulder with a smirk that only grew when he heard his teammates groan. He never wore it without his armor because he didn't want them to see it, it was just a Pumpkin Pete hoodie but it was funny how his friends kept trying to figure it out.

 _ ***Flash***_

Jaune placed on his newly repaired chest-plate over his hoody before grabbing Crocea Mors from his locker. His team was placing on their newly repaired armor that while looking the same, was far more durable than before. Ruby was one hell of a black smith, and once they found that out the young huntress had found herself with quite a bit of pocket change as she repaired their stuff for them. Training their transformations turned out to be quite expensive and cost them a lot of equipment.

Not that Ruby was complaining.

"Let's go." Jaune said as Pyrrha placed on her crown and nodded at him before grabbing her spear.

 _ ***Flash***_

JNPR walked onto the launch pads and nodded at each other before taking a battle stance and launching off into the emerald forest. As they flew to the air, Jaune turned to Pyrrha.

"Take me to the ruins today!" Jaune called out making her nod as she aimed her hand at him, engulfing him in a black energy before he was sent blasting off into the distance. Nora laughed loudly as she descended towards a cave that she knew was filled with Ursa. Ren shook his head at her antics before sliding down a tree and landing in front of a few king Taijitsus which began hissing at him as they bared their giant snake-like fangs.

"Nothing like a good work out in the mornings." Pyrrha mused as she raised her shield to crash through a few trees before landing on the ground in a crouch as a crater formed under her due to the impact. She turned her spear into a sword as she found herself surrounded by Death Stalkers.

 _ ***Flash***_

Jaune narrowed his eyes as he found himself descending towards the ruins. Gritting his teeth he slammed his blade into a nearby cliff and held on tightly as he began to slide down the Cliffside a few feet before finally coming to a stop.

" _ **What's on the menu today master?"**_ Crocea questioned as she sat on his shoulder. Jaune tilted his head curiously before looking up as two large Nevermore began flying towards his location.

"Poultry." Jaune said with a smirk as his body began to glow while bright white armor covered his limbs.

 _ ***Flash***_

Pyrrha blocked a stinger as she turned her blade into a speared and threw it at a retreating grim with a resounding bang. Rolling backward, Pyrrha rose her hand and used her semblance to rip her weapon from the grim and catch it. The Spartan narrowed her eyes as she spun it in her right hand before stabbing it in to the ground. Raising her right hand, she smirked as she gazed at her palm with bright blue eyes while an intoxicating power released itself from her body.

 _ ***Flash***_

Nora laughed as she plowed through the cave, annihilating Ursa as if it were routine for her at this point. She blinked owlishly when she reached the end only find the single largest Ursa she had ever gazed upon.

"Oooh~" Nora gasped before fist-pumping. "This is going to be so much fun~" Nora cheered as she danced around while her body was covered in a bright light.

 _ ***Flash***_

Ren narrowed his eyes as he descended upon a large snake-like grim with narrowed eyes which began to shine blue when he found himself being swallowed whole by the grim. The grim screeched in pain as it felt itself being ripped asunder from the inside.

 _ ***Flash***_

Cracks began covering Jaune's paladin armor as he stood on the cliff silently.

 _ ***CRASH!***_

 **BGM: END**

" _ **Good work master!"**_ Crocea praised as Jaune sheathed his blade with a smile while two dying Nevermores fell from the sky behind him at the same time. He sighed when he looked down to find his armor shattered. _**"Don't be down master, it doesn't matter how powerful you make your armor the transformation process will rip it apart."**_

"I know, I know, it's just…the cost of fixing them begins to rise, at this rate I am going to need a part-time job." Jaune said as he walked away.

" _ **Well you guys just need to keep at it for a bit, you've all been at this all semester and your transformations have gotten leagues stronger…just a little bit more and should be able to achieve it."**_

"Achieve what?" Jaune asked curiously making the spirit giggle.

" _ **It's a surprise~"**_

 **-Later: RWBY's Dorm-**

Ruby and her team were getting ready for the day when they heard a knock at their door. The young huntress blinked as she went towards the door and opened it only to find a sheepish team JNPR standing on the other side garbed their school uniforms holding a box filled with the remains of their armor.

"Hey Ruby…" Jaune began as his younger friend simply stared at him with half-lidded eyes.

"How?" Ruby questioned as she grabbed the box and walked towards her work table. "I must have at least doubled the durability!" Ruby said as she pulled out a hammer and a blow torch along with a few vials of dust she had purchased from Weiss.

"You see what happened was…" Jaune began awkwardly.

"I swear if you say training accident I will cut you." Ruby said as she cut off her fellow leader. The first few times it was cute but when the team had continuously destroyed their armor she had taken it personally as a blacksmith and sought out to make their armor strong enough that even they couldn't break it.

After the sixtieth time she was beginning to lose hope…at least the pay was good.

"Put it in the piggy bank." Ruby said with practiced ease as Jaune pulled out a wad of lien. Jaune walked over to her night stand only to blink as he saw at least seven of them all filled so much money that a few bills could be see sticking out of them.

"Uh…they're all filled." Jaune said making Ruby sigh as she reached under her work bench and pulled out a new piggy bank and tossed it to him.

"Dust, she's going to be richer than me at this rate." Weiss said with an eye twitch while Ruby utilized her semblance to quickly repair their armor before dropping them back in the box and handing it to Jaune.

"Thanks again." Jaune chuckled making her roll her eyes good naturedly while Pyrrha reached over to grab her crown from the box and place it back on her head. "You know if you ever get tired of killing grim you could make a pretty penny as a blacksmith."

"You all would probably make all of her business…how exactly do you all keep paying for this? The dust she needs isn't exactly cheap." Weiss said as she raised an elegant eyebrow.

"Royalties from Pumpkin Pete's cereal." Pyrrha said with a shrug.

"I'm not really wearing armor so my part is incredibly cheap, it's really just re-sewing honestly." Ren added.

"Don't ask questions you're not ready for the answers to~'" Nora said with a giggle and a wide grin that sent a shudder down their spines.

"Trust fund." Jaune said with a sigh.

…

…

…

"What?" Jaune asked as he noticed everyone looking at him.

"You have a trust fund?" Yang question with a slight eye-twitch.

"Yeah I hate using it though, Arcs are supposed to rough it out-it builds character but my family made so much money on their adventures that they all ran out of things to do with it. My eldest sister Fiona? She fights with weapons that cost hundreds of _millions_ to make and she still has a lot of gold and jewels just hanging around in a storage chest somewhere." Jaune said with a sigh, he didn't like talking about this because it made him feel like a rich kid-he wasn't raised as one and preferred not to be thought of as one either.

"What the hell!? And you're hounding me for thirty grand!?" Yang snapped as her eyes blazed red.

"Ninety." Jaune corrected as he reminded her of their bet in Glynda's class. "And don't think I'm not getting paid either." Jaune said seriously. "I earned that cash and you're gonna pay up."

"Who pays millions for a weapon?" Ren questioned skeptically alarm making Weiss cough as she tried to avoid her friends shocked gazes.

"That needle is worth millions!?" Yang questioned incredulously.

"Needle!? I'll have you know-"

"-that Myrtenaster is a one of kind weapon made from the finest materials!" Ruby interrupted actually sounding more offended than Weiss. The white-haired teen blinked owlishly before turning to her partner.

"…E-Exactly…?"

"Hey don't look so shocked, we might not get along all the time but no one disrespects quality weapons in front of me no matter who wields them." Ruby said resolutely while she crossed her arms with a nod making her sister sigh at her sister's weapon fetish.

"It doesn't make sense though Ruby, I mean we made ours and they're just as effective as snowflake's." Yang said as said snowflake glared at her but before she could say anything Ruby stared at sister in disbelief.

"You have no idea do you?" Ruby questioned in alarm making Yang blink.

"Idea about what?" Yang said making Ruby face-palm.

"You don't honestly think Uncle Qrow didn't play favorites do you? He personally gave us the materials to make our weapons, materials that he bought with his own money, materials that cost a small _fortune."_ Ruby explained making Yang gape at her. "Yang, you fight with mini mansions on your wrists."

"Oh damn." Yang said incredulously. "Looks like I need to send out a late thank you card."

"Everyone in this room, minus Jaune, has expensive weapons. Blake and Ren's as well, there's been a shortage on the material used in theirs, and she could re-sell it for a lot of money right now." Ruby said simply. "Jaune's sword is just a replica of his ancestor's that I guess he uses to honor him, so for obvious reasons his wouldn't cost nearly as much ours."

"Uh…Ruby…" Pyrrha began awkwardly making the younger red-head turn to her.

"What's up?"

"Jaune's sword isn't a replica." Pyrrha informed the red-head whom stared at her with half-lidded eyes.

"What?" Ruby deadpanned as she turned to a sheepish Jaune.

"Yeah I have the real Crocea Mors." Jaune said making Ruby blink.

"I thought the real one was in a museum?" Ruby said sounding unnaturally calm.

"Nah we gave them a replica and let them claim it was the original. The real Crocea stayed in the family." Jaune stated making Ruby narrow her eyes.

"You mean to tell me we have been friends for _months_ and you're just now telling me your weapon is legit? Your weapon that I have idolized since I was a little girl learning about the old war?"

"Uh…it never came up?" Jaune said do it sounded like a question. "Why is it worth anything?"

"That blade is _priceless_ Jaune." Ruby said calmly. "The shield alone introduced the concept mecha-shifting and the blade was what won the war."

"Huh, I know now Crocea is special for a few reasons, but to be honest I thought it was just a hand-me down when I came to Beacon." Jaune shrugged as if it didn't matter which made Ruby narrow her eyes. One must first understand that to a weapon enthusiast like Ruby what Jaune just revealed to her would be the equivalent of someone telling you they had the Holy Grail in their cabinet for years and thought it was just a flashy cup.

"I just stopped myself from killing you…just this moment you almost died in my dorm." Ruby said coolly and Yang instantly went to her sister's side.

"Jaune you might want to come back when she cools down." Yang said seriously.

"Surely you're overreacting?" Weiss said with wide-eyes as the normally friendly young huntress gave Jaune a glare so vile that if looks could kill, his entire team would have disintegrated.

"No, she honestly stopped herself from killing him. You don't understand, Ruby doesn't play around when it comes to weapons. You think I'm bad when my hair is touched? Multiply that by fifty when I accidently scratched Crescent Rose." Yang said with a shudder. "We'll see you guys at lunch, she needs to get some cookies in her pronto."

 **-Abandoned Warehouse-**

Adam was not having a good day, it was as if every member of the white fang were incompetent and did not know how work as an effective unit. It was beginning to infuriate him. They were all so weak, well except the random member that wielded a chainsaw-greatsword, he showed potential be a threat towards the humans if given time.

"Is that the best you all can do?" Adam nearly growled out making the White Fang members tense as they paused their training and turned to the man. Adam was going to snap at them when a voice echoed throughout the hideout.

"Excuse me, can you tell me where Beacon is?" A calm voice questioned making Adam blink behind his mask before turning to a woman wrapped in a tattered cloak.

"Who are you?" Adam questioned with a frown as he placed a hand on the hilt of his blade. He could smell her scent and tell that she was human. His frown grew as he could also smell the faint sent of blood coming from her body and he was positive none of it was hers.

"A concerned older sister, now will you tell me where Beacon is or will things need to get ugly?" The woman questioned coldly. "I do not particularly wish to waste my time slaughtering this sad excuse of a menagerie."

"You dare-"

"Did I stutter?" The woman questioned curiously.

"How dare you insult the White Fang!? The Faunus!?" A White Fang female member with dog ears growled out gaining the cloaked figure's attention.

"I did not insult the Faunus, just these beasts that stand before me." The woman shrugged. "I do not see a people, I see mutts…or in his case cattle." The woman said with a shrug as she gestured to Adam's horns before turning around. "I know about your organization and you're lucky I am not currently dealing with matters across the pond or I would have ended this farce long ago." She made it one step before Adam shot at her at nearly unmatchable speeds and unsheathed his blade.

 _ ***SHING!***_

Just before the blade made contact, the woman was surrounded by a barrier of light blue seals that effortlessly blocked the blade, surprising the Faunus whom was known to cut through nearly anything.

"You just do not get it do you?" The woman questioned curiously. "As long as my bloodline exists, you will never be feared." The woman said simply as cold blue eyes pierced through the shadows of her hood and bore into Adam, whom retreated backwards only for her to appear behind him a in a flash of blue light. He grunted when he felt his aura take a massive hit from an attack he was barely able to make out.

"Your bloodline?" Adam questioned as the woman moved back her cloak so she could place her hand on what looked like the hilt of a katana.

"B-Boss, r-retreat. Please s-stand down!" The same White Fang member from earlier cried out gaining his attention.

"What are you talking about!?"

"Look at her thigh!" The dog Faunus shrieked making him frown as he turned to the human, he felt his heart leap to his throat-though he hid it well-as he gazed at the arc shaped tattoo on the woman's now revealed thigh.

"What is an Arc doing here?" Adam questioned with a growl as a bead of sweat slid down his face. That family name was synonymous with death to the White Fang. The war between the Humans and Faunas had caused a noticeable decline in the Faunus population due to that wretched family. One Arc had slaughtered one hundred and fifty Faunus without mercy…

…in ten minutes.

"Like I said I was looking for my brother." The woman drawled making the dog-Faunus' legs buckle.

"Y-you have siblings?" The woman squeaked out at the thought of more Arcs existing in the current generation, one of the major points in the peace treaty was that the Arcs could only have one child per generation-for her to have siblings would mean humanity broke their promise.

"Seven." The woman said with a shrug. Adam's eye twitch behind his mask as he heard a few of his lackey's fainting behind him. "When the White Fang moved into the human Kingdoms you broke the treaty first, blame yourselves for my father being no longer legally required to wrap his Willy. I do believe my mother said he wept for joy when you all were formed."

How such vulgar words could be said with such elegance, they would never know.

"I'll ask one more time. Where. Is. Beacon?"

"Like I'll give into your demands!" Adam shouted as he dashed at her making her sigh. This was about more than pride however, he knew Blake attended that school now and though their partnership was all but gone he wouldn't let an Arc anywhere near her. If anyone was going to kill her, it would be him.

"One day without death, was that too much to ask for?" The woman questioned rhetorically with a sigh.

 **-Later: Beacon-**

Blake couldn't understand it. Her entire life she had been told horrible things about the Arc family but so far she couldn't find any reason to be afraid of Jaune. Sure he was strong and a capable leader, but he was nowhere as terrifying as the legends made them out to be. He was just as strong as any normal first year Beacon student. She'll admit she was impressed when JNPR took down that demon but it was team effort, she was even saddened when he had seemingly died.

All in all, Jaune was a normal hunter-in-training and warranted no fear from her. She was even sure that if they ever had to fight each other to the death one day she'd be able to win. So it was with that thought that she conversed normally with the male leader as they ate lunch.

"So tell me Jaune…" Weiss began…politely!? The table stopped what they were doing and looked at the heiress in shock, but she paid no attention. "You're apparently the heir of such a prestigious and wealthy family, how come you do not carry yourself like it?"

"You mean why he isn't a tuck up snob like you?" Yang asked with a laugh getting an irritated glance from the heiress.

"Well we never used more than what we needed to be happy, we lived pretty averagely actually. Having a big family also helped, we kept each other from getting a big head. My Dad always said if you wanted to boast the Arc name, you needed to pick up a blade."

"A good policy." Pyrrha nodded only to blink when she heard something fall onto the table. She turned to see Blake looking at Jaune in horror as her book rested on the ground.

"B-big family Jaune? I thought you were an only child!" Blake stuttered out uncharacteristically making everyone look at her incredulously.

"Are you serious? I know I have mentioned my older sister Fiona before. You know leader of a royal army by twenty-one, Godslayer, the one who trained me though I am not even close to her level?" Jaune questioned making Blake shake her head though her face got paler with each word he spoke.

"Now that I think about it, she was missing the day you first brought her up with team RWBY present." Ren said making Jaune frown.

"But she was there when we talked about her earlier." Jaune pointed out making the man point to Nora who was eating a large stack of pancakes.

"She was probably only half listening like Nora is now since she was reading her book. She probably can't even remember what the conversation was about."

"It was about Ursa Ren." Nora said randomly making Ren face-palm as she proved she wasn't paying attention.

"B-but what about the treaty!" Blake question in confusion.

"Treaty?" Pyrrha questioned curiously.

"Something about limiting how many children an Arc could have." Jaune shrugged. "Dad mentioned it once in passing, I thought he was lying since I have so many siblings."

"No it existed." Weiss said with a nod, always one to know about politics. "It was removed due to the formation of the White Fang. The Faunus 'accidently' let the group spread so Humanity 'accidently' banned the Arcs from birth control."

"Haha Pyrrha, you better hope Jaune's pull out game is strong!" Yang laughed making the two teammates sputter as their faces blazed redder than Ruby's cloak.

"Really Yang?" Ruby groaned at her sister whom simply stuck a tongue at her.

" _They can't be allowed to breed!"_ Blake thought in horror as she imagined an Arc with Pyrrha as a mother. _"That would be a living weapon of Mass destruction!"_

"Can't believe there are actual laws like that." Ruby said as she shook her head making her partner snort.

"You'd be surprised at some of them." Weiss said as she ate her food. "The Arcs apparently have a lot of influence in military and political matters. So much that many people try to figure out a way to get connected to Jaune's family. My father once even told me he had gotten the Arc patriarch intoxicated and created a marriage contract between me and the third born child should it be male." Weiss laughed making Jaune chuckle.

"Yeah I think Dad told me something like that once, he was so drunk that he couldn't even remember the name of the family just that it would be the second born daughter or something. Talk about dodging a bullet." Jaune chuckled as he ate his food. Weiss and Jaune simply chuckled a bit as they ate while their friends all stared at them in silence.

…

…

…

"So since no one else wants to, I'll address the elephant in the room." Yang began as Ruby gaped at the two heirs along with the rest of the table.

"You're engaged!?" Ruby shouted in shock making Weiss glare at her as the lunchroom turned to look at them. "Sorry." Ruby squeaked out.

"No you dolt! Think, Jaune has seven sisters and one older sister. This makes him the second born, which means the third child would be one of his sisters-a female-making the contract null and void." Weiss explained making Jaune drop his fork.

"Wait Weiss, what are you talking about? That's not why the contract is void." Jaune said making her turn to him in confusion. "Its void because you're an only child and should you have a sibling who happens to be female, she'd be so young that I could contest it-or have been killed in battle by the time she's of legal age."

…

…

…

"J-Jaune...I-I have an older sister." Weiss began as her eyes widened in slight horror making him pale.

"What?" Jaune said as he began to tremble.

"Her name is Winter, she's in the Atlesian military." Weiss said seriously. "That's why I said it was void because you're the second oldest."

"B-But that can't be I have an older sister!"

"I know."

"No I mean another one!" Jaune said in alarm making Weiss drop her fork in terror as she imagined Jaune moving down form second born to third. Jaune and Weiss stared at each other in absolute horror before pulling out their respective scrolls. "Dad, what the hell did you do!?" Jaune questioned as he waited for the call to connect.

 _["Hello Weiss, your father is busy may I take a message-"_

"Listen to me you wench, if you don't patch me through to that bastard I am going to shove my heel so far up your ass your nose will bleed!" Weiss snapped making the secretary look at her in a mix of shock and horror before doing what she was told.

"Fiona! Thank dust, I need you to tell me what you know about marriage contracts, how can I void one?" Jaune questioned urgently.

"Congratulations!? No I won't let you speak to him! F-Father-are you crying tears of joy? This is my future! Stop congratulating me! Why are you proud?" Weiss shouted as she placed her scroll to her ear.

"Hurry!" Jaune said as he heard Weiss's one-sided conversation.

["Let me think, Mom shoved so much of this political crap in my head when we were kids I might have an answer…uh, ah yes! I remember, infidelity. Either you or your bride to be needs to cheat with someone else so that one of you can void the contract, why?"]

"Cause Dad's an idiot." Jaune deadpanned making her cover her mouth with wide eyes.

 _["You mean he was serious!? I thought you just needed me to help you cheat on an exam or something!]_

Fiona Arc.

Sister of the year.

 _[This is…fucking hilarious hahahahahaha!"]_ Fiona laughed her ass of as her brother glared at her fiercely. _["S-so this is what it took f-for you to finally l-look like an Arc….BWAHAHAHA!"]_

"Pyrrha!" Weiss shouted as she pocketed her scroll making the horrified Spartan look at her in confusion. "Have intercourse with him now!"

"W-What-"

"Now woman!" Weiss nearly growled out making Blake stand up with a glare.

"No they can't reproduce!" Blake said defiantly making Weiss glare at her.

"Don't make me end you Blake." Weiss said coolly.

"Bring it." Blake muttered. "We both knew this day would come."

"Wait settle down!" Jaune ordered silencing them as he turned back to his scroll. "What was that?"

 _["There is something more important that you need to be worried about now though."]_ Fiona said seriously. _["The old Fomorian leader Shining Shakarr has been resurrected, we suspect it is by the same people whom brought back Glas. It was spotted en route to Vale, whoever is behind this is targeting you-our guess is that they want to steal your Paladin's diary."]_

"How dangerous is he?" Jaune asked seriously as he quickly slipped into his leader mode.

 _["He could stalemate my predecessor and it would take me going all out to slay him in my weaker days. Still he's just been resurrected so his power is relatively low compared to what it used to be. "]_

"Damn it. You heard that right guys?" Jaune said a she glanced at his team whom adopted serious expressions.

"It's a code blue." Nora said as she nodded.

 _["That, however, is not your biggest concern as I am almost positive he will end up dead-it's why I am sure he'll die that's the problem."]_ Fiona said seriously making him frown, a frown which deepened as his sister looked a bit sheepish.

"What the hell did you do, Fifi?"

 _["I may have let it slip to…_ _ **her**_ _…that you were at Beacon."]_ Fiona said awkwardly nearly making him drop his scroll.

"Oh no…" Jaune said with a pale face, confusing his team.

 _["She got a head start but I am also on my way to run damage control, with both of us in town Shakarr stands no chance, the real problem is getting_ _ **her**_ _to come back to Rocheste without having you locked up back at the house. With her sense of direction I might even make it around the same time she does honestly. Hide for now, I'll take care of this."]_ Fiona said before cutting the call.

"Jaune...what's going on?" Pyrrha questioned in confusion.

"A monster is coming." Jaune said with a thousand yard stare.

"Another one?" Ren questioned with a frown.

"This one is not any normal monster, it's _**her."**_ Jaune said with a shudder.

"But Jaune, who is 'her'." Pyrrha questioned making him grimace.

"My older sister."

"Why is that a bad thing Jaune? Older sisters are awesome!" Ruby said as she gave Yang a hug making the brawler laugh. This time both Weiss and Jaune looked at them with envy.

"Not all the time Ruby." Jaune said seriously. "Fiona is my oldest sister and we get along good enough, but then there is the other one…to sum her up perfectly…she's an _**Arc."**_ That statement confused the humans, but Blake nearly ran for the hills at that moment seeing a terror on Jaune's face that mirrored her own when she thought of the Arc family as a child.

"Does she like hate you or something?" Yang questioned in in confusion making Jaune laugh.

"Some days…I wish she did…she loves me, so much that she'd be willing to kill me herself instead of letting me risk my life on the battlefield." Jaune explained making them gape at him. "When Fiona ran off to be a hero, she followed her soon after intent on bringing her back but Fiona had proven herself capable enough that she instead decided to stay with her and help her fight. The same thing happened with my twin." Jaune said making Weiss look up at him in hope. Seeing this, Jaune just sighed. "I beat her out by two minutes."

Weiss' hope shattered instantly.

"So just prove yourself, you're not exactly bad." Yang pointed out making him chuckled.

"For most of my life I was a terrible fighter, at first it was because I lacked ambition but later it was because she sheltered me and prevented my growth. Up until a month before joining Beacon I was the worst hunter ever, luckily Fiona came and trained me herself to get me ready."

"Wait…you mean you could kick away a Deathstalker and attempt to pull down a Nevermore after a month!?" Blake questioned in alarm as she felt her fear of Jaune begin to grow a bit.

"Yup, anyway, she was a sheltered child and takes family incredibly seriously. She was personally trained by my father and could give all of Team CFVY a run for their money at age fourteen…at the same time. Her mental condition made her one of the deadliest Arcs since our ancestor." Jaune said with a shudder before reaching into his pocket and pulling out an old family photo form his wallet. He pointed them towards a girl whom had blonde pigtails, thick glasses, braces, and a bad case of acne.

"Wait she's who you're afraid of?" Yang said incredulously making him nod. "She looks like a little mouse, couldn't hurt a fly."

"She's an _**Arc**_." Jaune said stressing the emphasis on the name. "I have not seen her for a while, but even I know how deadly she can be, her disorder is nothing to be trifled with."

"Disorder, you keep mentioning that, what exactly is it?" Ren question with a frown.

"C.E.C." Jaune answered. "Congenital Excessive Concentration, it's a rare disorder that makes a person have complete and utter concentration on whatever they are doing, this makes things like listening to lectures at school impossible if the person is focusing on something else."

"So she's deadly because she can't study?" Yang said in confusion. "If that's the case I am the deadliest huntress here."

"No think about it, imagine what it's like to have that disorder in combat?" Jaune said seriously. "Blocking out the sounds of battle, focusing only on the kill or your objective. At that moment you exist solely to do battle." Jaune said seriously. "It occurs in our family every now and then, the last person to have it was fighting in the Faunus Rights Revolution." Jaune said making Blake pale. "His total kill count was in the thousands. He simply couldn't concentrate on things like mercy or sympathy."

"But wait, the Faunus won that conflict." Weiss said with a frown.

"And I'm glad they did, but the only reason it was a victory for them was because his daughter, my grandmother, managed to snap him out of his focus, after that he was given powerful meds and lived the rest of his life off the battlefield." Jaune stated making Weiss blink in confusion.

"Wait, why would she help the Faunus?" Weiss questioned getting an irritated look from her team forcing her to raise her hands defensively. "I'm just curious!"

"You really want to know?" Jaune asked with a frown making Weiss blink owlishly before nodding her head. "She wanted a good fight."

"You can't be serious!" Weiss said in disbelief.

"My family is _insane_." Jaune said seriously. "Also my family has a peculiar relationship with the Faunus and let's leave it at that." Jaune answered making Blake narrow her eyes.

"Well damn…" Yang said as she felt her face pale. "And your sister is not only stronger than him, but coming _here."_

"Which is why I need to hide." Jaune said as he stood up. "If a conflict broke out, everyone would be targets, do not think for a second she wouldn't put you down permanently." Jaune said as he turn around only to see the door blast open making the students jump in surprise. Jaune cursed as he quickly typed something on his scroll before pocketing it.

 **BGM: Cold Steel Coffin- NieR OST**

The students watched in surprise as an incredibly beautiful woman walked into the cafeteria. The woman had a blonde pixie cut and bright blue eyes, her expression was that of one of innocent curiosity. The upper parts of her thighs up to the bottom of her large bust was covered by black leather which was tied together with black laces. The top of her torso was covered by a dark transparent fabric which revealed her black lacy bra and over that was an open crimson leather jacket which stopped three inches below her chest.

The collar of the jacket was made of a soft white fur and the sleeves had black leather straps around her wrists. Her left sleeve had white metal plates down her entire arm while her right sleeve had a single plate over her shoulder. Her left hand was covered by a metallic glove which had a small red light emitting from it. She also wore a pair of black heels and had a demonic looking blade on her hip. The back of the long blade was pitch black while its jagged edge was bright red. In her left hand was a white and red mask which made Blake's eyes widen in shock as she saw blood covering it. Blake trembled a bit as she realized where she had seen that particular mask before.

The woman's eyes scanned the cafeteria before landing on an apprehensive Jaune which made her lips quirk into a small smile.

"Jaune, it has been far too long my dear brother." The woman said as Yang gaped at her and began looking back and forth between the woman and the girl in the photo. Someone was apparently blessed by the gods of puberty. "I would have been here sooner but ran into a complication." The woman said as she dropped the mask and smashed it beneath her heel. "He got away, but _only_ he got away." The woman said making Blake pale as she smelt the blood on the woman.

"It's good to see you again too Arisha." Jaune said nervously making her smile widen. He knew what a complication meant, he shuddered to think of how many fools died trying to fight her.

"I hope you have been well, I am here to take you home where you belong." Arisha explained before crossing her arms. "You're the next head of the Arc family, you shouldn't endanger yourself like this. You need to think of the family first and play your role, leave the fighting to your sisters."

"Arisha we've been over this, I need to do more with my life than sit back and become breeding stock." Jaune said in exasperation.

"Of course, I have no problem with whatever you decide to do with your life, but I refuse to let you kill yourself thinking you belong on the battlefield. Fiona and Delia are lost causes, but I refuse to let you follow that path." Arisha said firmly.

"Ari…"Jaune began before narrowing his eyes. "I'm not coming home, not yet. This is where I belong, I want to be on the frontlines."

"You?" Arisha said as she narrowed her eyes. "Why? So you can follow that foolish dream of yours and become a hero? Let me tell you a secret Jaune there are no such things as heroes, just killers whom happen to be at the right place at the right time. It's not a fairy tale, there's no princess at the end of this-all that's waiting for you is an early grave."

"If this was earlier, you would be right but I've seen what it takes to be a hero, when my team faced down Glas I knew that it wasn't all fun and games any more. Lives are at stake every time you draw a weapon, every command you give can be someone else's final action." Jaune said as he clenched his fist tightly. "I don't want to be a hero anymore. I want to fight alongside my friends and do my best to make sure they stay alive as we fight for what we believe is right…and if I happen to be seen as a hero by others in the process then so be it."

"Fight alongside them? With what power Jaune?" Arisha questioned coolly as she titled her head. "You're weak, you'll be dead in no time. Are you that eager to throw away your life?"

"If I allow myself to go back home with nothing to show for it and live the rest of my days doing nothing while others fight my battles…how is that living? That's being a coward!"

"You _are_ a coward Jaune." Arisha said seriously. "That's all you are, that's all you have been. You've just grown arrogant because Fiona taught you how to block, a skill which just shows how cowardly you truly are."

"I guess of all people you'd be an expert on cowards wouldn't you?" Jaune questioned making her eyes widen slightly before narrowing as she thought of the girl she used to be. "You want to bring me home? Fine. However, it will be in a casket."

"Jaune, I'm bringing you home even if I have to cut off both your arms and legs to do so." Arisha said as she placed a hand on the hilt of her blade. "I won't be able to stop Jaune, if I draw this blade there will be no turning back. You want to stay here? You want to be a warrior? Fine, I'll let you try."

"Guys, no matter what happens do not interfere…If I can't prove to her I belong here then maybe I don't." Jaune said as he watched his sister draw her blade and hold it in a reverse grip. Ruby looked at him in horror and shook her head.

"But Jaune-"

"No Ruby, he needs this." Pyrrha said confusing the younger huntress. Pyrrha wasn't stupid she knew that with Jaune's lack of aura and the fact he's stated he only had a month of actual training that he must have faked his way into Beacon somehow. She also knew that he probably felt guilty about doing so. As far as Pyrrha was concerned, he cheated his way in but earned the right to stay. But, if he wanted to go through with this, she wouldn't stop him.

Arisha took a step forward and vanished making Jaune's eyes widen in alarm as she appeared behind him and stabbed forward with her blade poised at his back, intent ending the battle.

 _ ***CRASH!*  
**_

 _ ***THOOOOOM!***_

Arisha's eyes widened slightly when a locker slammed into the ground in between her and Jaune, causing her blade to stab into the locker and unknowingly into Crocea Mors.

 _ ***KRANNNGGGGGG!***_

Arisha gritted her teeth as the locker blew apart white a bright blue flash sending her sliding back, Jaune wasted no time and spun around to catch his weapon which was falling from the locker.

 **BGM: END**

 **BGM: Ingkells- Theme**

" _ **Master! What's going on!?"**_ Crocea asked alarm as Jaune shifted the sheath into a shield and unsheathed his blade.

"Family bonding, let's go Crocea." Jaune said as he charged forward to his sister whose eyes widened slightly at seeing the family heirloom wielded by her brother.

 _ ***CLANG!***_

The siblings parried each other's swords and glared into each other's eyes. Blue mixed with Blue as Arisha hopped back and dashed forward in a blinding light, catching Jaune off guard as she appeared next to him and slammed her hilt into the side of his head, sending him rag dolling through the cafeteria and out through the entrance, stunning his friends whom rarely ever saw him lose his footing.

"The gap is far too big." Arisha muttered as she sauntered out of the room placing her blade on her left palm. The light from her glove shone brightly as she dragged the blade across her hand, igniting it in a blue fiery aura.

Jaune shook his head as he stood up and glared at his sister, even with his aura advantage he knew that the woman before him was on an entirely new level. Jaune ran rose his shield when the woman through what looked like a red orb of energy at him lazily before gesturing upwards. Raising his shield quickly, Jaune manage to protect himself when the orb exploded sending him sliding back.

 _ ***KRANNG!***_

Suddenly Arisha through a second orb that shot passed his head, thinking that she had missed, Jaune stepped towards her only for to vanish and reappear behind him, her blade mid-swing.

"AHHHHH!" Jaune suddenly screamed in agony, alarming his friends as he felt a massive blow to his aura. Looking at his scroll which he kept behind his shield, he paled when he saw that he was already down to fifty percent of his aura.

" _Fall."_ Arisha drawled lazily. Time seemed to slow as she spun around released a barrage of powerful slashes into his body rapidly, causing blue arches of energy to appear around them. His uniform jacket was torn apart as he flew away.

 _ ***CRASH!***_

" _This is crazy, I can't hope to face her like this."_ Jaune realized as he flew away, his aura completey shattered. _"Only chance is to hopefully catch her off guard by going full power. I have to fight to kill, it's the only way I have a chance to prove myself!"_ Jaune thought as he landed and rolled backwards to his feet before raising blade high into the air. Arisha frowned slightly when she saw a gold light erupt from his body.

 _ **FLASH!**_

Arisha had to shield her eyes as his body exploded with power, and when the light died down she could see him standing in a suit of white armor.

"Amusing." Arisha said as she stabbed her blade into the ground as her left hand shone white with power.

" _ **Crocea Mors!"**_ Jaune shouted as he raised his blade high into the air with both hands. The ground beneath him exploded as his blade transformed into a claymore made of golden light. The sheer weight of it made his arms trembled.

"You can't even hold your own power." Arisha muttered as she raised her hand causing a seal to appear beneath Jaune's feet and above his head. "That armor…do you think it's even relevant in a fight between us?" Arisha questioned curiously as teams JNPR and RWBY ran out of the building to see the fight.

"Jaune's going that far?" Ren questioned with a frown.

"Where the hell did that armor come from?" Blake questioned making team JNPR glance amongst themselves.

"We'll explain later what's important is what we are going to do about this, she's not even registering Jaune as a threat-what is she doing!?" Pyrrha questioned in alarm as she watched Arisha summon a seal in front of herself and expanding it. Energy erupted from both seals, catching Jaune in between them and forcing him to drop his blade.

" _ **Resonance."**_ Arisha said as she tapped the seal before her with a yawn, as if she were pressing a button.

 _ ***FABOOOOOOOM!***_

 _ ***CRASH!***_

" **AHHHHHH!"** Jaune screamed pain as he felt the energy explode around him, causing his armor to shatter like glass. His friend paled when they saw him erupt in what appeared to be a massive explosion of energy. When the explosion died down, red energy flew form Jaune's body as he fell back to the ground in the middle of a massive crater.

 _ **Life flare!**_

 _ ***Schtik***_

Jaune fell to his knees after Crocea stabbed into the ground before him.

"Do you see the difference between us now? Do you understand what kind of hell I must have gone through to reach this level? I'm telling you from experience that you do not want to go down this path." Arisha said as she raised her left hand towards Jaune causing a small sphere of energy to float in front of her palm. "You life-flared just now so you managed to survive the attack, but even I know a single tap is enough to take you down right now. Surrender."

"This doesn't make any sense, I thought no one in Jaune's family could use aura?" Ren questioned in confusion as he watched his fallen leader. He wanted to help, they all did, but Jaune told them not to interfere and he was going to respect his wishes.

"What do you mean?" Yang question in surprise.

"What she means is that Jaune is the first person in his family to unlock his aura since his ancestor." A voice spoke up and the students turned to see Ozpin walking towards them with Glynda.

"Professor you have to stop them!" Ruby begged as the man sipped his tea.

"Sorry Ms. Rose, but this is a family matter…I will be sending them the bill for the destroyed property after this however." Ozpin joked making Glynda roll her eyes.

"Not the time." Glynda muttered as she turned to the fight. "Her power is coming from that glove of hers, it's allowing her to manipulate that energy."

"It's like a dust crystal." Weiss muttered as she narrowed her eyes.

"Like?" Pyrrha questioned in confusion making her nod.

"I say like because I have never seen a dust crystal of that quality before, if it is a dust crystal it would be worth a fortune." Weiss answered as she crossed her arms.

"Pay attention children, I want you to remember that woman. You could not fathom the threats she faces on a daily basis, that demon that team JNPR put down was just a sample. She's the type of warrior you all come to this school to become." Ozpin said seriously. "Unfortunately, Jaune stands no chance for he fails to see the purpose of this test of hers." Ozpin said before smirking into his mug as he noticed Ruby stealthily typing something in to her scroll.

"You've impressed me Jaune by not falling yet, I'll admit, but you have not proven yourself at all." Arisha said simply.

" _ **Master-"**_

 ***Boooom!***

The spirit that was on its way to Jaune stopped when an orb of energy floated in front of the weapon.

"Stay down Crocea, my family owes you a debt for protecting our ancestor in his battles but do not fool yourself into thinking I won't seal you away if you get in my way." Arisha said coolly has her hand reignited. "Pick your battles Jaune, I'll ask one time do you yield?"

" _Yield?"_ Jaune wondered as his vision blurred. "I-I told you…only way I'm going home…I-is in a casket." Jaune said with a bloodied smirk. "Pyrrha, Nora, Ren, Ruby, Weiss, Blake, Yang…I've made too many friends to just abandon them now. I have a team to lead, if you think I will leave them willingly you are sorely mistaken."

"I see." Arisha said calmly before closing her eyes. "It's over." Arisha said as she gestured for the orb to explode. Jaune knew this was it for him but he refused to show weakness in his final moments. If this was truly his final sight, he was going to see it to the end.

 **BGM: END  
**

 _ ***KRAAANNNGGG***_

 **BGM: PVP (Version 1) Extended- Vindictus OST**

"Well damn sis, if it was a fight you wanted you didn't have to come this far." A voice spoke and Jaune looked up in disbelief to see Fiona standing before him. She was wearing a pair of low-riding black slacks that had metal spikes going down the sides and a leather vest which revealed part of black bra. On her lower back was an Arc-symbol tattoo. "I am more than willing to give you a fair match up."

"Fiona…" Arisha muttered as she grabbed her blade apprehensively. This wasn't an opponent she could take lightly.

"Don't listen to her Jaune, she's always been over protective. You're a grown ass man. It doesn't matter what decisions you make in life, as long as they're yours and what you truly believe is right then I say go for it. You have my blessing even if you don't have hers, the fact you lasted this long-no matter how horribly one sided-shows you have potential." Fiona said with a grin.

 _ ***BOOOOOOOOOM!***_

Fiona blinked as she glanced back at the bottom of Beacon's steps to find a colossal pitch black armored figure wielding a giant Warhammer making its way to the school.

"What do you know, your mission is here." Fiona mused as she tossed Jaune a crimson potion. "Drink that and deal with him would you, I'll keep Ari in check."

"You cannot be serious Fiona, there is no way he can face Shakarr. We can take him out first and then deal with our personal matters." Arisha said with a sigh making Fiona tilt her head.

"Nope!" Fiona grinned. "Unlike you, I have faith in our brother. You couldn't see it because right now he is too weak to face you all out, but he has talent. Shakarr is just what he needs to showcase his skills." Fiona said as Jaune drunk his potion, causing his wounds to fade away while some of his aura replenished. Standing up Jaune pulled his blade free from the ground. However instead of turning to Shakarr, Jaune placed a hand on Fiona's shoulder and pulled her back and stepped towards Arisha. "Jaune?"

"This is my fight." Jaune said as he raised his blade. "That's your enemy down there right? Well between him and Arisha he's more likely to kill the innocent, you can take him out faster than I can."

"Jaune…you know you can't beat her right?" Fiona asked with a frown though she was impressed he was thinking of others instead of himself. Jaune chuckled as he cracked his neck.

"Yeah I know, but my enemies won't wait until I reach their level will they?" Jaune questioned as he glanced back at Fiona. "Though nowhere near as bad as Ari, you baby me too much as well." Jaune said seriously making Fiona look blink in surprise before a sad smile graced her lips.

"I guess I do, don't I?" Fiona said as she turned around towards Shakarr. Jaune and Fiona stood back to back as they raised their shields. "Good luck Jaune." Fiona said quietly making him nod.

"You too." Jaune said before they both dashed off towards their opponents, Ari narrowed her eyes as she brought her blade down on the young huntsman. _"Now!"_ Jaune barely managed to duck under the swing before bashing his shield into her arm knocking it back. Arisha's eyes widened slightly in surprise as he stepped inside her guard. _"With a blade that long, there's a limit to how close she can fight."_

" _What?"_ Arisha wondered as she was forced to dodge four powerful swings from her brother. She narrowed her eyes as her body began to glow so that she could dash behind him and put a little distance between them.

"Like hell!" Jaune shouted as he used his shield arm to grab her wrist tightly just before she could dash away before raising his right leg.

" _He knows her kick too? No matter that move is too predictable once you've seen it enough."_ Arisha thought as her left hand began to glow. _"I'll blow it off when the time is right."_ However, instead of kicking her, Jaune slammed his foot into the ground causing a crater to appear beneath them making Arisha lose her balance. Using his momentum, Jaune dropped his blade and pulled his fist back before reinforcing it with his aura. _"What!?"_

" _ **Amaranth Punch!"**_ Jaune shouted as he slammed his fist into the side of her face.

 _ ***BOOOOOOOOM***_

The ground shattered as his hair blew back from the force of his punch.

"Wait don't tell me he was…that idiot." Ren muttered with a face-palm making Pyrrha nod with a dangerous eye-twitch.

"I'm going to kill him." Pyrrha stated calmly as if it were a fact.

"Wait what are you talking about?' Yang asked in confusion.

"He took the beating so that he could analyze her fighting style." Ozpin said as his sipped his coffee. "After all it has been awhile since he's seen her. He was able to dodge her attack because he knew how she was going to swing her blade before she even did, then he found the weakness in her close combat abilities."

"Still, she is far stronger than him." Glynda muttered. "A lucky hit, won't change the outcome of this battle."

 **-With Jaune-**

"How was that?" Jaune questioned tiredly. "You didn't expect me to be a complete copy of Fifi did you?" Jaune asked only to pale when he realized his fist was being blocked by a blue seal that acted as a barrier.

"Surprised? Did you really not expect father to not teach me something as simple as blocking?" Arisha questioned making Jaune pale as he personally knew what tended to follow after a successful block. Quickly slashing her blade across his chest, Jaune was sent sliding backwards after she delivered a powerful counter attack which shattered the remnants of his aura

 **-With Fiona-**

" _Damn it Ari, you know this test of yours is too hard for Jaune to figure out, especially since he's male."_ Fiona mused as she effortlessly blocked a mighty swing from Shakarr with her shield before dashing forward and knocking him back with a well-placed shield bash. _"Come on Jaune, you should know what to do-especially if you're a leader."_

 **-With Jaune-**

"You want to play with the adults now Jaune?" Arisha questioned curiously. "Well it's time you've fallen, I knew you were too idiotic to be a warrior. How you ever became a Paladin is beyond me." Arisha said before disappearing in a blue flash.

 _ ***SCHLIK!***_

Jaune gasped as Arisha's blade ripped through his gut.

"You've failed." Arisha whispered in to his ear before freeing her blade as blood spilt from his lips. His blade fell from his hand as he fell to his knees and wrapped his arms around his stomach. "Why? Because you've taken on an opponent that was too much for you to handle alone. I knew you weren't ready." Arisha said as she stepped over her brother. "You'll just get yourself and those you loved killed, I'm saving you from that guilt be thankful." Arisha said as she flicked his blood off of her blade.

" _I've lost…"_ Jaune realized as pain shot through his body.

" _ **Master…"**_ Crocea's voice rung through his head sadly as tears filled his eyes. _**"Why…"**_

" _I'll have to go back…"_

" _ **Why didn't you…"**_

" _I'm a failure…"_

"… _ **Just…"**_

" _I've let them all down."_

"… _ **Ask for help?"**_ Crocea asked sounding honestly confused making his eyes widen as his trembling stopped.

"Time to go home Jaune, I'll have the teachers mail your belongings." Arisha said as she walked away only to pause when she heard him stab his blade into the ground. She frowned to herself before turning around to see him using his sword to keep himself from falling over as his wounds healed slowly. "You still want to fight? You haven't learned a thing have you? You can't win."

"I know." Jaune said quietly making her raise an eyebrow. "Maybe one day, but not today-you were right I have no idea what you've gone through but if you have been with Fifi, then I have an Idea. Thinking I could even face you as I am was nothing but an insult to your skills…until I train a bit more a fight between you and I will always end like this." Jaune said humbly. "I grew arrogant after fighting Glas, and assumed I was ready to be a hero…but I'm not and you have humbled me."

"Hmph, so you realize that you can't beat me, how do you plan to prove yourself to me then?" Arisha questioned curiously as he weakly looked up at her before giving her a grin.

"By being smart for once." Jaune said before taking a deep breath. "HELP ME!" Jaune shouted loudly making her eyes widen in surprise before a small approving smile graced her lips. She smiled at the fact that Jaune finally understood what she was trying to get him to understand, and she smiled because at that moment crouching behind her…

…in a whirlwind of rose petals…

Was a pissed off young girl wielding a large scythe that was already mid-swing. Arisha slammed her longsword into the ground next to her, effortlessly blocking the attack making Ruby narrow her eyes before jumping back.

 **-With the others-**

"Ruby!" Yang shouted in alarm before reaching for her scroll only for Ozpin to raise his hand.

"Ms. Xiao-Long stop right there, it seems Jaune has understood the true purpose of this test." Ozpin said making the students look at him in confusion. "Ms. Arc did not come here because she doubted his potential as a hunter, she came to make sure he could accurately deal with a threat far stronger than him."

"But we took down that abomination, shouldn't that have been enough?" Pyrrha questioned helplessly making Ozpin hum in thought.

"Think, Ms. Nikos, Jaune knew that demon was stronger than him and came to you for help did he not?" Ozpin questioned curiously making her nod. "And Ms. Arc, from what I gather, is far stronger than that demon…yet here you are, his team and comrades standing before me and not alongside him."

"But he said-"

"For you to stay away, and that is where the problem is. Jaune suffers from something we all have at one point, pride." Ozpin stated with a smile. "Pride has gotten even the strongest of warriors slaughtered. He had too much pride to ask you all for help against his sister. He also was afraid to rely on you and get you all hurt as a result of his decisions, such is the fear of many leaders."

"Damn it Jaune…" Ren muttered as he clenched his fists while Yang glared at Ozpin.

"I'm not leaving my sister out there! I have to help her-"

"And do to her what Ms. Arc has done to Jaune?" Ozpin questioned curiously making Yang look at him in confusion. "Do not baby Ms. Rose, the moment she accepted my invitation she was given the right to be treated as an equal by her peers-yourself included. You need to step back for once and truly see the warrior your sister is. It's time you all understand why I made those two team leaders."

"Why..." Weiss questioned quietly as she finally saw an opportunity to ask a question that bugged her since she was placed in team RWBY. "Why them?"

"Because out of the eight of you, Ms. Rose, Mr. Arc, and Ms. Nikos were the only ones who knew why they were here, why they truly picked up their weapons. Even I could tell Ms. Nikos here prefers not to give orders, so Mr. Arc was an easy pick." Ozpin answered stunning them. "The reason Ruby is out there now is because she's here at Beacon to learn how to fight the good fight, she's not blinded by pride, vengeance, nor is she simply looking for a thrill. She had already called her weapon is was prepared to go against Jaune's wishes to keep him alive, the fact that he called for help before she showed up was pure coincidence."

"I think you broke them." Glynda muttered as the young huntresses plus Ren gaped at the man before slowly turning back to the fight.

 **-With Jaune & Ruby-**

"Thanks for the save Ruby." Jaune said with a smile as he stood as Ruby dashed next to him and kept her Scythe aimed at Arisha. Reaching inside his pocket, Jaune pulled out a potion he kept on himself for emergencies and quickly drank it, once more removing the near fatal wound and giving him some of his aura back. Ruby didn't even look at him before she stomped on his foot making him yelp. "Ouch!"

"Idiot! You almost died two times! How were you even made a leader!?" Ruby snapped angrily, her face flushed and for once it wasn't due to embarrassment-she was genuinely pissed off.

"Ruby-"

"Do you think I like sitting back and watching you get beat up?" Ruby questioned angrily. "So what if we're not on the same team, so what if our teams have that stupid rivalry…you're still my first friend Jaune…when you're hurt, I'm hurt."

"Ruby…"Jaune trailed off in surprise when he saw tears in the corner of her eyes. It was then he realized what an idiot he was, like her she was his first genuine friend and he knew that if the roles were reversed he'd be just as pissed. "I'm sorry." Jaune said with a sigh.

"You better be." Ruby muttered making him chuckle.

"I owe you a lot of cookies don't I?"

 **BGM: END**

 **BGM: Song of the Ancients (Fate)- NieR OST**

"You have no idea." Ruby said as she narrowed her eyes at Arisha who looked slightly amused at the exchange. "So what's the plan?"

"You're asking me?" Jaune said sounding surprised making her nod.

"We have two different styles of leading, I'm more for improvising on the spot and you are better at the strategic stuff. My style won't work here at all, so it's up to you just tell me what to do." Ruby said making Jaune look at her in surprise before shaking his head with a smile. It was then he realized that despite her talents, Ruby truly was a humble individual.

" _Youngest one here, and she has the huntsman thing down better than anyone."_ Jaune mused to himself before sheathing his blade and ruffling her hair. "Blue team may be the best team, but your group currently has the better leader." Jaune chuckled before removing his hand. "We're going to have to combine our styles if we want to bring her down. We'll call it, strategic-improvising."

"You're going to get us killed." Ruby deadpanned.

"Probably." Jaune admitted. "Now let's go." Jaune said as they charged forward making Arisha frown. "Ruby flank her!" Arisha widened her eyes as Ruby disappeared in a blur. She barely had enough time to create a shield to protect herself from Crescent Rose.

 _ ***BANG!***_

Ruby released a round form her scythe and used the recoil to quickly retreat. Arisha cursed as she glanced back to see that Jaune slipped in to the opening of her shield and flashed to the side to avoid being impaled by Crocea Mors. She glance back at Jaune only to tense as she felt Ruby appear behind her in a crimson flash.

 _ ***BANG!***_

Crescent Rose's edge shot towards her at blinding speeds, barely giving her time to raise her blade to parry the strike.

 _ ***CLANG***_

At that moment she raised her left hand towards Jaune who was charging her and released a blast of energy. Jaune wasted no time and raised his shield quickly to block the blast before covering his trusty shield in his aura and ramming it into her.

 _ ***KRANG!***_

"Gnh." Arisha grunted as she slid back before ducking under a mighty swing from Ruby that would have taken her head off. Reaching back, Arisha grabbed the Scythe's handle and used it to swing the younger girl into her brother, forcing the red-head to release her weapon. Arisha then raised her left hand and released an orb of red energy at the two before disappearing in a blue light. Making a gamble, Jaune grabbed ruby around her waist as he rose his shield just in time to block a powerful blow from Arisha that sent blue sparks flying everywhere.

"Now Ruby!" Jaune shouted making her nod.

"Jaune get ready!" Ruby shouted as she wrapped them both in her hood which wrapped around them, hiding them from view. A vortex of red fabric sped around Arisha making her frown as the wind began to pick up. Her eyes widened in slight disbelief as her feet actually left the ground as she found herself in a tornado of rose petals. Arisha narrowed her eyes before dragging her blade across her left palm, igniting it in a blue flame.

"You'll have to try harder than that!"Arisha shouted as she released countless rapid slashes that easily made the vortex disperse only to reveal that Jaune, Ruby and her weapon had vanished. "What?"

 _ ***BANG!***_

Instinctively, Arisha hopped to the side as a bullet buried itself into the ground where she previously stood. She glared up and saw Ruby descending upon her releasing round after round towards her, forcing Arisha to put up a barrier to block the barrage.

" _ **Crocea Mors!"**_ Jaune's voice shouted making her grimace as she released her barrier when Ruby descended upon her. Stepping to the side, Arisha avoided the younger girl's overhead attack before grabbing her by the back of her hood and throwing her behind her where she landed next to Jaune whom was now wielding a glowing Crocea Mors.

"That attack again?" Arisha muttered as Jaune charged her. Time seemed to slow as she placed her blade on her left palm and ignited the blade in a golden flame. "Impressive that you've learned that move, but it's not as original as you may think."

" _What!?"_ Jaune thought in alarm as Arisha swung her blade before her in a bright golden arc of power.

" _ **Ruin Blade!"**_ Arisha shouted as the attack slammed into Jaune's, her attack was so powerful that the glancing blow sent Ruby crashing back.

 _ ***KABOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM***_

The siblings struggled for dominance for a split second before both were engulfed by light. When the light died down, Arisha stood unscathed in a large crater while both Jaune and Ruby groaned as they lay on their backs. Arisha frowned when she noticed that her family's Mana stone had run out of power.

 **-?-**

" _Where am I?" Ruby wondered as stood up weakly in a void of pure darkness. Suddenly her surroundings distorted and she found herself standing in a dark room that was being illuminated by the fire of a nearby fireplace. She looked around herself in surprise as she registered where she was._

" _Mom?" A small voice questioned suddenly._

" _No way." Ruby muttered to herself as she slowly turned around with wide silver eyes. Before in a nearby chair was a beautiful woman with black and red hair that resembled Ruby greatly. In the woman's lap was a toddler that looked just like her._

" _Yes my little jewel?" The woman questioned with a warm smile as she continued to nit a large red piece of fabric._

" _When will it be ready!? I can't wait to finally have a hood like yours!" The toddler said enthusiastically making the woman laugh._

" _Patience Ruby, I swear you always want things to happen so quickly-do not rush life, savor every moment you are given with those you love. It's almost done but even so it will be awhile before you're big enough to wear it so for now you'll have to settle for having a hooded blanket." The woman explained before laughing lightly at her daughter's pouting face. Ruby could do nothing but watch the old memory of her mother with silent tears falling down her cheeks._

" _Hey mom, why do you like sewing so much?" The younger Ruby questioned curiously making Summer hum to herself in thought._

" _Well I guess it's because it's like telling a story!"_

" _A story?" The toddler questioned curiously making Summer nod._

" _Exactly, each thread woven is like another part of a bigger story." Summer said as she finished the fabric. "My mother said that sewing is an art, and some people could even read the messages hidden within each article of clothing if they we're skilled enough."_

" _Wow…" The younger Ruby said with wide-eyes before a grinning Summer wrapped the crimson hood around her daughter, making the child giggle. Cocooning her daughter in the hood, Summer embraced the younger Ruby and held her tight. The child rested her head on Summer's chest and watched the crackling fire in the fireplace._

" _There is a darkness in this world Ruby and I won't be able to protect you from it forever." Summer began quietly and the older Ruby gasped in surprise as Summer's silver eyes bore into her own. "You always were afraid of the big bad wolf lurking in the shadows. Next time you find yourself surrounded by darkness remember the warmth of this cloak, remember how much I love you, and embrace it. Don't be afraid of the wolf, become it. You are stronger than you know Ruby, and a day will come when you will need to take control of this world's darkness before it consumes you."_

" _Mom…" The older Ruby whispered as she watched her younger counterpart fall asleep. Her mother's eyes, however, never left hers._

" _You're my daughter Ruby, and I want you to know that I believe in you. No matter what struggles come your way, you can and will overcome them." Summer said as a sad smile graced her lips. "I love you." Ruby shook her head as the vision began to fade away._

" _Mom? MOM! MOM COME BACK PLEASE!" Ruby cried out as she fell to her knees. "Don't leave me…"_

 **-With Jaune-**

"I must say I am impressed." Arisha admitted. "I didn't think I'd actually need to recharge the stone to take you out." Arisha mused as she walked over to the fallen hunters and grabbed Ruby by her head tightly before lifting her up. Ruby's body shone brightly as her aura began to get sucked into the stone, once again filling it with power. "Hope you don't mind if I borrow your energy instead-" Arisha stopped when Ruby's hand grabbed her wrist tightly making her frown. "Oh?"

 **BGM: END**

"R-Ruby?" Jaune questioned as he looked on in confusion. His eyes widened in disbelief as her hood began to release a familiar black energy. "What?"

"Impossible." Arisha muttered as she dropped the girl whom landed on her feet with her head bowed. Ruby bent over and picked up her scythe while her silver eyes shone brighter. _"That cloak…was it made by a brotherhood member? How in the world does it possess the power of a paladin's diary?"_ Arisha wondered as the cloak wrapped around Ruby tightly before turning pitch black. Ruby held her head in pain as she erupted in a pillar of darkness

 _ ***FLASH!***_

"Interesting…" Arisha muttered as her eyes shone bright blue before she as well transformed into a Dark Knight. Jaune gritted his teeth before clenching his chest as he was covered by white armor.

" _ **Jaune what is this?"**_ Ruby questioned in confusion as she looked down at her body which had seemed to age to its physical prime. She glanced down at herself frantically when she noticed that she was covered in the strange black material. She had looked exactly like Pyrrha's transformation with the exception that she wore a pitch black hood that was releasing black petals. She had felt stronger than she ever had in her life, and she held her now black Crescent Rose with wonder as it was covered by the black energy.

" _ **Somehow, you've become a Dark Knight…Ruby what was the last thing you remember?"**_ Jaune questioned seriously as she turned to him.

" _ **I…I saw my mother…she was making my hood and began to fade in to the darkness, I followed her and the next thing I know I'm looking like this."**_

" _ **Her mother must have been a brotherhood member."**_ Arisha spoke up gaining their attention. _**"I will speak to Nyle about this later. It's time we end this, if you want answers you children need to prove yourselves capable of handling them."**_

" _ **We're not children Arisha, not anymore."**_ Jaune said as he aimed his blade at Arisha. The woman was silent for a moment as she imagined a much younger version of Jaune smiling and standing in front of her before the image shattered and was replaced by the white knight.

" _ **I suppose you're not."**_ Arisha muttered before stabbing her longsword into the ground and raising her right hand in front of herself. _**"Allow me to treat you two like adults then!"**_ Arisha roared as two pitch black horns ripped from her head. Jaune and ruby looked on in wonder as her power increased even further.

" _ **Ruby, listen to me. I've figured her out."**_ Jaune said as he got Ruby's attention. _**"She has two types of teleports. One she can do on her own, and one where she teleports to that orb she throws. The one with the orb does stupid amounts of damage and can cleave through even my aura quickly. Here's the catch though, she can only teleport to the orb. Dodge the orb and you dodge her."**_

" _ **And the one without the orb?"**_ Ruby questioned.

" _ **It places her in front of us. If you see no orb, but she still teleports that watch your front and you'll be fine."**_ Jaune said making Ruby nod. _**"Through our pain, her stone gets stronger. The less we get hit the weaker she is."**_

" _ **Got it."**_

 **BGM: This will be the Day-RWBY OST**

 **-With Fiona-**

Hopping over Shakarr's hammer, Fiona slammed her foot down on the handle, embedding the weapon into the ground before using his surprise to leap up and behead the Fomorian Leader effortlessly. Landing on the ground as blood showered the battlefield, Fiona turned towards the direction of her siblings with a frown.

"Are you really using level two Arisha?" Fiona muttered to herself with gritted teeth. "It's getting harder and harder not to interfere."

 **-With Arisha-**

A second layer of pitch black metal began to cover her arms, legs, and head, as multiple long pieces of metal began protruding from the back of her arms. Arisha whipped her hair, and her ponytail was covered by spiky black metal that connected to the back of her helmet, giving it the appearance of a dragon tail. Her blade was no longer a beam of black energy, but rather a very long pitch black blade that's back was covered in spikes that was now surrounded by a black aura.

" _ **Let's go."**_ Arisha muttered, ripping her blade from the ground, before they both sides charged each other. As soon as they met each other, their weapons clashed creating a large explosion which nearly blinded them all.

 **-With the onlookers-**

Ozpin sipped his coffee as _everyone_ else simply gaped at the battle.

"W-what the hell is going on!?" Yang finally snapped, Blake said nothing but simply held herself in terror as she gazed up Arisha's new form that was fighting both of her classmates far viciously than before.

"And…you're just letting this happen?" Glynda deadpanned as she turned to Ozpin.

 _*Sip*_

 **-With Jaune & Ruby-**

" _ **Show me what you've got."**_ Arisha called out as Ruby sped in front of her. Time seemed to slow for a second before both women began slashing at each other at speeds that made their weapons invisible to the naked eye. Each time their weapons clashed, a loud explosion rung out through the battlefield.

" _ **Now."**_ Jaune thought to himself as he ran towards his sister. _**"Shield Bash!"**_ Jaune shouted as he slammed the shield into his sister, sending her sliding backwards through the battlefield.

" _ **Nice hit!"**_

" _ **Thank you."**_ Jaune chuckled, even as a Dark Knight Ruby never lost her enthusiasm. _**"You're even faster than before, stay on her so she can't use any of her heavier attacks."**_

" _ **Got it!"**_ Ruby said before disappearing and locking herself in close combat once again with Arisha. As this went on, Jaune ran towards the two while swinging his blade rapidly for every time he swung his sword the light from his transformation would split off and fly towards Arisha, bombarding her rapidly. Arisha cursed as she was sent sliding back from the blasts. Seeing her moment, Ruby dashed forward with her scythe cocked back only for Arisha to raise her left hand and create a magic shield to protect her.

" _That should buy me some time-what!?"_ Arisha was caught off guard when instead retreating, Ruby leapt up and slammed her feet into the seal before rapidly kicking it until it shattered like glass.

 _ ***Crash***_

When the seal shattered, Ruby back flipped and landed in a crouch before blasting towards Arisha like a bullet.

" _ **Like hell!"**_ Arisha muttered as she leapt over the swing and aimed her blade at Ruby, intent on finishing off the huntress.

" _ **Oh no you don't!"**_ A voice shouted making her eyes narrow as she glanced back to see Jaune above her. _**"Shield Bash!"**_

 _ ***KRANNNG!***_

" _ **Gnh!"**_ Arisha grunted as she slammed into the ground with enough force to send her bouncing up right into Ruby's awaiting combo.

 _ ***SHING!***_

 _ ***SHING!***_

 _ ***SHING!***_

Landing three powerful slashes as Jaune landed behind her. Releasing a round from her scythe, the large bladed weapon slammed into Arisha again just as Ruby used her Semblance to land a barrage of rapid slashes before Jaune stepped forward and slammed his foot into Arisha's stomach sending her rag-dolling backwards. Arisha held her stomach with her left hand and glanced up just in time to see Ruby before her with her left hand clenched tightly.

 _ **["Listen up you little cookie monster, I'm going to teach you something that will keep you safe when you're older. It doesn't work on Grimm, but Grimm are not the only enemies out there and I want you ready for the day you realize that-as much as I hope that day never comes."]**_

Evie's words rung through Ruby's head as she opened her left palm and slammed it into Arisha's chest.

" _ **Mark of Death!"**_ Ruby shouted as an ethereal skull appeared above Arisha and opened its mouth to consume her life-force.

 **BGM: END**

 **BGM: Time to Say Goodbye- RWBY Volume 2 OST**

" _ **How?"**_ Arisha questioned with gritted teeth as she felt some of her life force being ripped from her. She had been hit with this move countless times in spars to know what it was. Before she could ponder it any more, Jaune appeared before her and released two powerful slashes she was barely able to dodge before he flipped his blade into a reverse grip and spun around rapidly. Caught off guard, she couldn't dodge the slash to her abdomen or the following slash to her chest after he flipped his blade back before leaping up and slamming a powerful roundhouse kick to her head.

" _ **Nailed it!"**_ Jaune shouted after finally being able to perform Fiona's Ivy sweep which sent Arisha sliding away from him.

" _How are these kids, this strong?"_ Arisha wondered incredulously as Ruby suddenly threw her beloved scythe high into the air as Jaune ran forward towards his sister. _**"Head on? Don't get cocky!"**_ Arisha shouted as she dashed forward in a blue light and appeared before Jaune faster than he could blink. Time seemed to slow as she stopped and ran her blade across her palm, igniting it in a golden light. _**"Ruin Blade!"**_ Arisha shouted as she slammed her longsword towards her brother.

 _ ***KRANNNNNNNG!***_

Arisha's eyes widened in alarm as her blade was blocked by a pitch black shield that was engulfed in a dark aura. In front of her, Ruby was forced to a knee as she blocked the powerful attack with the legendary shield.

" _ **Nice catch and nice block!"**_ Crocea said to Ruby whom had to fight back a squeal.

" _ **You talk!? That's so awesome!"**_ Ruby gushed as Jaune descended from the sky with Crescent Rose held tightly in his hands, the formerly demonic scythe was now bathed in a holy golden light. _**"Now Jaune!"**_ Ruby shouted making Arisha curse as Jaune swung the scythe with more power than Ruby ever hand.

" _ **Crescent Rose don't fail me!"**_ Jaune roared as a giant arch of light slammed into his sister's back and sent her flying away, tearing a large fissure into the ground.

" _ **Awesome."**_ Ruby said as they switched weapons, once again igniting them in their respective auras.

" _ **As I thought, Focal point with Crescent Rose would be far more destructive with its large blade."**_ Jaune muttered before cursing lightly as he felt is power fading _ **. "We don't have much longer but neither does she."**_

" _ **HAHAHAHA!"**_ Arisha laughed as she leapt from a large crater and landed before them with a wide-grin. _**"I take back everything, it's been awhile since I've had this much fun!"**_

" _ **No offense, but your sister's insane."**_ Ruby gulped as she took a step back making Jaune nod despondently.

" _ **I know."**_ Jaune sighed as Arisha stabbed her blade into the ground and clenched her right fist tightly as it was engulfed in a dark energy.

" _ **You, girl, it's a shame you're going to die but die knowing that I definitely approve of you!"**_ Arisha said with a manic grin confusing Ruby while Jaune sputtered in disbelief.

 **-With Fiona-**

Fiona paled as she ran faster after feeling a large shift in the atmosphere.

"Damn it Arisha, snap out of it, you'll kill him and anyone around him!" Fiona bit out as tried to reach the battlefield.

 **-With Jaune & Ruby-**

" **Fissure!"** Arisha shouted as she whipped her right up towards Ruby, causing a large black horn to rip up from the ground but before it could impale her, Jaune stood in front of her.

 _ ***CRUNCH!***_

 **BGM: END**

" **GAH!"** Jaune shouted as his chest plate shattered along with the right side of his helmet.

" _ **It's over!"**_ Arisha muttered lost in her battle lust as she aimed her right hand towards the two leaders while Ruby looked at Jaune in horror and fell to her knees as she saw the black spike ripping out of his back. _**"Blow apart."**_ Arisha muttered as their visions were engulfed by a black wave of power. Jaune's now revealed right eye shone brightly as he clenched his right fist and punched at the darkness.

" _ **Master!"**_ Crocea shouted in alarm as Ruby shut her eyes in fear.

 ***BOOOOOOOOOOOOM!***

 **-10 AP**

Arisha's eyes widen in alarm as dozens upon dozens of bright gold spheres erupted from the darkness and raced towards her, forcing her to create a shield to block the damage.

 _ ***CRACK!***_

" **What?** Impossible…" Arisha muttered in disbelief as her transformation ended leaving her standing in the tattered remains of her armor. Ruby slowly opened her eyes when she realized that she was alive and gasped as she felt herself being held tightly.

 _["Ruby, the reason I train you so hard is because being a hunter is no luxurious lifestyle, it isn't some fairy tale. You're on your own and there will never be some knight in shining armor to save you, they don't exist-you have to learn to save yourself."]_ Qrow's words rung through Ruby's head. It was a lesson he had taught her that she took to heart, but now…now she didn't know what to think.

 **BGM: Regina- Vindictus OST**

"So, you ascended." Arisha muttered as she gazed at Jaune. A second layer of armor had covered the previous one that shone with an even brighter intensity. His helmet had evolved and now revealed a pair of bright blue eyes that leaved trails of light when he moved the back of his helmet and torso now sported pitch black feathers as did his chest plate making it look like he had a collar of pitch black feathers. Over his shoulder shoulder pauldron was a floating white cross that was lined with a light blue crystals and so were the two vertical plates that floated over his right pauldron.

His shield now looked as though it were crafted by angels, its shape had changed into a diamond shape that was made out of white metal. It was covered in a light blue aura and floated above his left arm rather than being connected. His blade had underwent a similar transformation as not only had it turned white but it seemed to have double in width-now looking like two sword blades connected by a blue light-and was as long as his body and it too was covered in a blue light.

" _ **I'll take care of it from here Ruby, also you might want to cover up."**_ Jaune said calmly as he set his friend down on her feet and pounded his chest with his right hand, causing four large blue crosses to float around him, before picking up his colossal blade effortlessly as if its weight had not changed. Ruby glanced down a released an embarrassed squeak as she found her clothes destroyed. Luckily, her hood was unscathed and she used that to cover herself quickly before looking back up at her friend in blatant awe before frowning.

"You're trying to fight alone again!? Why-"

" _ **It's not about pride this time Ruby."**_ Jaune said calmly as he placed an armored hand on her head making her look up at him with a blush. _**"I just want you safe. That's all. For now just have faith in me."**_ Jaune said before dashing at Arisha.

"How do you already know how to use conviction?" Arisha muttered as she gazed at the floating crosses. Narrowing her eyes, Arisha dashed forward with her blade cocked back. Jaune said nothing as he slammed his blade into hers.

 _ ***KRANNNNNNGG!***_

Arisha's eyes widened in amazement as she was batted back through the air as if she were weightless. Landing in a crouch, she looked up to see that Jaune was already in front of her and gritted her teeth as he slammed his shield into her sending her flying through the sky with the powerful shield bash.

 **-With the onlookers-**

With the exception of Ozpin, they all gaped as Arisha landed in front of them on her back. Gritting her teeth, she stood up only to find herself hit with an earth shattering Amaranth kick to her ribs, which send her flying back into the lunchroom. Jaune paid his gaping friends no mind as he gripped the blade tightly with both hands and dashed back into the building.

 **-Lunchroom-**

"That power! It's intoxicating isn't it?" Arisha questioned as she grabbed a table with her left hand and slung it at her brother whom cut it down it with ease.

" _ **It wasn't worth the cost."**_ Jaune muttered as Arisha appeared behind him with her blade ignited in a blue flame.

"Oh?" Arisha asked curiously. "And what cost is that!?"Arisha shouted as she slammed her sword into her brother rapidly only for each hit to be blocked by the floating crosses. Finally after the final hit, the crosses shattered and Jaune spun around and grabbed her by her neck tightly.

" _ **I never wanted to fight you, especially not like this, I've never wanted to go past a simple spar."**_ Jaune's eyes narrowed as he spun around and _slung_ her through five tables and into a pillar. Arisha coughed up blood before falling to her feet as the pillar collapsed behind her.

"Why? Because you're scared?" Arisha questioned with narrowed eyes as she held her blade with both hands and charged her brother.

" _ **No because you're my sister and I love you!"**_ Jaune shouted as they met in the middle of the dining hall, both of their blades shining gold time slowed as their glowing blades raced towards each other

" _ **Ruin Blade!"**_

" _ **Crocea Mors!"**_

 _ ***FABOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM***_

Arisha's body erupted in pain as Jaune's armor shattered. Both siblings glared into each other's eyes as they were surrounded by a bright light as their blades fought for dominance. As if sharing a mind, they both slammed their heads into each other, creating a shockwave as their glare viciously into each other's eyes, blood dripping down their faces. Suddenly Jaune's expression softened as tears fell from his eyes.

"Please Ari, enough is enough once we turn on family…what else is left?" Jaune questioned making Arisha's eyes widen before a pained expression crossed her face as if she had just realized how far she had taken this fight.

"Jauney…" Arisha whispered quietly as her attack began to over-power Jaune's. "You're too kind for the battlefield."

" _ **It's that kindness, however, that will allow him to stand above the rest."**_ A taller Crocea Mors said coldly as she placed her hands over Jaune's, causing Arisha's blade to be pushed back. _**"And it's time you learned that, daughter of Arc."**_

 **BGM: END**

 **-With the onlookers-**

Ruby and Fiona had both just made it to the others as the explosion died down.

 _ ***Rumble***_

Thunder sounded and they looked up to see that it had begun to rain. Glynda grimaced at the rain before glancing to Ozpin and glaring at him as he had somehow already had an umbrella out and continued to sip his coffee while he remained dry.

"Impressive." Ozpin muttered as he looked at the ashes of the dining hall.

"They wiped a building from existence unintentionally, in a grudge match…" Blake muttered to herself. "They're monsters, the myths were true…we didn't listen…" Blake muttered as she held herself tightly and shuddered. "We didn't listen!"

"Uh…there, there…" Yang said awkwardly as she watched her partner have a mental breakdown and a panic attack at the same time. She was far more concerned for her sister but couldn't even think of where to begin. Yeah she knew her sister was good, but she was always right beside her in any non-sparring battles. This was the first time she watched her sister fight a legitimate threat without her help. She was surprised, happy, and sad all at the same time.

 _ ***Crack***_

Blinking, Yang turned back to the destroyed building and shook her head incredulously as she saw Arisha dig herself up from the rubble. Her eyes widened in amazement as Jaune pulled himself out as well but he was unable to stand on his own and had to use Crocea Mors to keep himself upright as Arisha stood up, covered in blood, panting tiredly as the rain washed her blood away.

"Jaune you are too kind-hearted for the battlefield." Arisha muttered before softened her expression as Jaune glared at her tiredly. "However I made a mistake and mistook that gentleness for weakness…and for that I apologize. You are strong Jauney, and one day you will be far stronger than me…" Arisha muttered as she raised her left hand causing her stone to shine brighter than it had that entire day. "If you can get up after this…I will let that day come, I will not stand in your way, and I will even cheer for you form the side-lines…because if you can withstand this, you can withstand anything this world will throw at you."

"No Arisha, you'll kill him!" Fiona shouted as she prepared to end this fight once and for all.

"Fiona…stop…If withstanding an attack is all I need to do to end this, I'll do it…I'm just so tired of fighting those I care about. Fighting family should never be a requirement to be a hero." Jaune said weakly before turning back to Arisha. "Get it over with, I'm ready."

"Jaune…" Fiona whispered as Arisha raised her left hand high into the sky causing multiple small seals to surround her arms as her hand shook with power.

"What is she doing?" Glynda questioned in confusion making Fiona sigh.

"It's her strongest attack, Temporal Shift." Fiona answered with a frown. "It's an attack that that stops time itself and then uses that same energy that stopped time to explode and destroy all of her opponents that are caught within it." Fiona answered making the students pale as Blake felt herself become light-headed.

"I'm sorry Ms. Arc, did you just say stop time?" Glynda questioned incredulously sure she had heard wrong making Fiona nod. Glynda was no stranger of time dilation due to working with Ozpin for so long, but actually stopping time? Even for a second that was no small feat. "Ozpin, I know you heard that we need to intervene now there is no way that boy can withstand that much power."

*Sip*

"Damn it, Ozpin!" Glynda snapped angrily as Ozpin looked away innocently. It was that innocent expression that made Fiona narrow her eyes.

 **-Flashback-**

" _Damn it, I'm still short on cash there is no way I can escape to Cohlen before my parents find me a suitor." Fiona muttered as she cursed her luck. She had been doing odd jobs for months but still couldn't afford the ferry ticket, today she was working overtime at a local café but it looked like she would be unable to accomplish her goal before the deadline. Her father had banned her from the family vault, knowing she intended to leave thus leaving her to fend for herself._

 _*Sniff*_

 _She nearly broke down and cried but held it together long enough to give her customer his order. An Arc always finished their jobs no matter how much their life lucked at the moment._

 _With that thought, Fiona forced a smile on her face and gave the awaiting customer his cup of coffee._

" _Why thank you." the man said with a smile as he pushed up his shades before sipping the cup." Fiona was about to walk away when the man suddenly gasped getting her attention._

" _Why I'll say, this is the most delicious cup of coffee I've ever had!" The man said out loud and stared at it as if he had found the Holy Grail off coffee._

" _Er…" Fiona had no idea what to say, she didn't even make it she just poured it from the same old coffee maker she always had._

" _Madam, what is your name?" The man questioned curiously._

" _Fiona Arc." Fiona said cautiously making him nod as he pulled out a check book and wrote something on the check before ripping it out and handing it to her with a wink. Fiona nearly fainted at the amount of zeroes on the check._

" _That should be a sufficient tip, especially since I am stealing this mug." The man said making her look up only to blink in surprise when he and the mug of coffee had suddenly disappeared._

 _ ***Flashback: End***_

 **BGM: Maplestory Red First Impact intro- Maplestory OST**

Ozpin gave Fiona a knowing wink and simply gestured for her not to say a word.

 **-With Arisha-**

" _The final blow."_ Arisha muttered as she slammed her hand down creating a massive seal around Jaune that froze time itself. Arisha said nothing as she turned away and raised her left hand before an orb of magic appeared in it. Clenching it tightly for a moment, Arisha didn't even glance back as she crushed it causing the seal beneath Jaune to explode.

 _ ***FABOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM***_

Jaune shut is eyes as he found himself engulfed by a bright blue energy.

 _ ***RIIIIIINNNGGG!***_

"What?" Jaune gasped as he felt the energy hit him, but do no damage. His body erupted in flash of light as the energy was pushed away from him. He gaped as he could stand up against the weight even as his body felt an unbearable strain. _**"AHHHHHHH**_ _!"_ Jaune roared as he extended his hands towards his sister and pushed the power back towards her.

"Impossible!" Arisha shouted in disbelief as she felt her power being absorbed, no, it was being _reflected_ back towards her with Jaune's own power being added to it. So caught off guard, she could do nothing but gape as her own attack shot towards her. "Amazing." Arisha said weakly with a proud smile as her vision was completely covered by the bright light.

 _ ***KRANNNNNNNNGGGGGGGG!***_

Arisha blinked as she found herself being held tightly. Opening her eyes, she gasped as she found herself being held tightly by Fiona, who was doing her best to block the attack.

"AHHHHHHHHHH!" Fiona shouted as she found herself being pushed back. Using her free arm to push Arisha away, Fiona held her shield with both hands and fell to a knee. "I've had enough!" Fiona shouted as she was covered in a golden light.

 _ ***FLAAAAASSSSSHHHHH!***_

When the light died down, they could see Fiona standing in the second level of her paladin transformation as blue crosses floated around her for a second before shattering.

" _ **This fight is over."**_ Fiona ordered and though she couldn't see her face she could tell her older sister was pissed off.

"You're right." Arisha said as she fell to her knees, which went weak after seeing how close to death she was. She couldn't help but chuckle as Jaune hand to catch himself on his hands and knees. He panted tiredly and looked up at her with a weak smile. "It's my loss." Arisha said before her vision went black.

 **BGM: END**

 **EXP: 5,000,000**

 **AP: +350**

 **Jaune Arc: Level 50**

 **Ruby Rose: Level 50**

 **+2 Seals of Enjoyment**

 **Skill Unlocked: Semblance (Jaune Arc)**

"Please don't tell me you did all this so the boy could unlock his semblance." Glynda pleaded as Ozpin walked away.

 _*Sip*_

"Damn it, Ozpin where the hell are you going!?"

"To send an old friend a bill, his children did make quite the mess." Ozpin said with a chuckle.

"And I thought I had family issues." Weiss muttered with an eye-twitch as Fiona held both Jaune and Arisha by the collars and yelled at them furiously not caring that they were on the brink or death or that Arisha had passed out.

"We're still chewing him out after his sister finishes, right?" Ren questioned suddenly making Pyrrha nod.

"Oh you have no idea." Pyrrha muttered with an eye-twitch.

"We'll break his legs!" Nora said with a cheer.

"Keep him fifteen feet away from me at all times." Blake muttered to Yang as Ruby walked away, still wrapped up in her hood.

"Where you goin' sis?" Yang questioned curiously.

"My skirt and top blew up, I'm going to change before anyone sees my underwear." Ruby said with her cheeks blazing red before running as Yang chased her, attempting to take away her cloak with a grin.

 **-Soulstream-**

" _ **Arc…"**_ Morrighan muttered as she gazed down at the scene. _**"I wonder, will you reawaken before my power returns? When we clash, that world truly will turn to dust."**_

… **Auto-Saving…**

 **Next Level: Empire: White Knight**

 **Reviews:**

 **Hypno0s: Glad you enjoyed it though expect the upload speed to slow down around after the next chapter since that's when the original story ended. Right now I'm just remastering an old story.**

 **Hero of the Multiverse: Haha glad you like it!**

 **Duskrider: Glad you like it, going to keep updating this and Louise for the time being as the primary focus and do something special for Valentine's day in February.**

 **Najdrox: Yeah the original story wasn't bad it just needed some cleaning and reorganizing to make it a bit more cannon compliant. The first one could be seen as four one-shots while this is a cohesive story.**

 **Sephiroth'sDarkness: Only time can tell about the pairings but Lancaster is a possibility, that's for sure.**

 **NinjaFang1331: Thank you!**

 **Stonecold: Hopefully my explanation at the beginning of this chapter can explain how the "game" parts work in this story. Glad you are enjoying it though, hope you enjoy this as well.**

 **Read and Review and stay beautiful**

 **~RebuffX7**


	4. Level 3 (Betaed)

**Disclaimer: The one who owns RWBY will forever be Monty Oum not me.**

 **Morrighan: EX (This means it's so blatantly OP that numbers can't even quantify it)**

 **Nao: EX**

 **Crimson Blades: Lvl 90**

 **[RWBY:]**

 **Ruby: 52**

 **Weiss: 49**

 **Blake: 49**

 **Yang: 50**

 **[JNPR:]**

 **Jaune: 52**

 **Pyrrha: 54**

 **Nora: 50**

 **Ren: 50**

 **Cinder: 90**

 **Mercury: 67**

 **Emerald: 67**

 **Adam: 85**

 **NOTE: I know there were concerns about the pacing, as I've said before I've just been cleaning up the original four chapters. We are CAUGHT UP NOW. This means updates will be much SLOWER as everything after this chapter will be 100% NEW (plus I have to finish a chapter for another story now). That said, the pacing will relax after this so expect some slice of life chapters here and there along with some more character development, etc. They will also be SHORTER since the chapters you see written now were all one-shots as opposed to actual chapters.**

 **Also, it has come to my attention that some of you who are not familiar with Vindictus think Fiona, Arisha, and Delia are characters I have made. They are not, they are Vindictus characters. Read the AN I've added in the previous chapter and Chapter 1 to see where you can find some cool gameplay of them and get a visual of how their powers work.**

 **Betaed by: The Undying Will**

 **{Beta's Notes: Flu will not be enough to kill me! I conquered it! The Beta has approved this chapter!}**

 **RebuffX7: You're alive! Yay!**

 _ **Featured BGMs:**_

 _ **See What I've Become-Zack Hemsey**_

 _ **PVP [Arena] Extended- Vindictus OST**_

 _ **Between the Sheets-The Isley Brothers**_

 _ **Must be nice (Instrumental)-Lyfe Jennings**_

 _ **Chandelier-Sia**_

 _ **Brave Shine- Fate/Stay Night OST (Want an English version? Look up one by Amalee/LeeandLie on YouTube)**_

 **Level 3: Empire: White Knight**

 **(Also, one more thing about the transformations, they are cool…they are flashy…they are…barely viable, even in the game. They are used mainly as a way to get HP back honestly. I'm explaining this so that the people who might think they are overpowered realize that they aren't as big of a boost as one initially thinks. Let's not forget there exist enemies who are so strong they literally make it impossible for transformations to be used in the first place.)**

 **-?-**

 _Jaune frowned as he found himself staring at the back of a blonde haired man whom was garbed in black armor. It didn't even take him a second to register that he was staring at his father's back. The older man was standing in front of the statue of their ancestor silently and before Jaune could open his mouth, Fiona and Arisha appeared at the man's side. Before he could say a word, the silhouette of Delia appeared next to them as well._

 _ ***Rumble***_

" _What?" Jaune wondered with a frown as the ground shook before all four of his family members began rising high into the air on their own pillars. The pillars extended until the four were completely out of Jaune's field of vision, the size of them casting a shadow so large and dark that Jaune thought he was standing in a black void. Jaune trembled as chains extended from the ground and wrapped around his limbs, forcing him to down to his knees. After a while he stopped fighting…_

 _For this is where he belonged._

 _Trapped in a shadow–a shadow, that was far too large for him to escape._

 _ ***FLASH***_

 _Jaune looked up with a frown as he saw an older female rabbit Faunus approaching him with a gentle smile, her body covered in a vibrant golden flame. The woman's expression was peaceful as the flames engulfed her body as if she knew where she was meant to be. It was a tragic sight for Jaune for he knew that despite her calm demeanor, the scolding flames burned her to her very core. Tears fell from Jaune's eyes as her light burned away the shadows._

" _ **Be patient my child, for one day you too will reach the heavens. You, will shine the brightest of all…so bright that even my light will be eclipsed by your sheer brilliance."**_ _The woman said calmly as she embraced the young man. The flames merely comforted_ him as they viciously burned her alive eventually reducing her to ash within his arms.

 **-Beacon-**

 _*Gasp*_

Jaune's eyes snapped open as he sat up quickly in his bead, panting tiredly as tears fell from his eyes. His body shuddered as he shut his eyes in sorrow.

 **-?-**

 _Weiss' body trembled in pain as blood slid down her porcelain white skin from her new wound on her face. The cut was so deep that she doubted even her aura could heal it completely. She flinched when someone stepped in front of her and paled when she looked up to find her older sister staring down upon her as if disgusted by her existence. The older girl was about three years her senior with bright white hair that reached below her shoulders and cold blue eyes._

" _Pathetic. Is that the best you can do?" Winter asked with disappointment lacing her words._

" _That's enough. This training is over." An older voice said coldly making them turn to see the form of their father approaching them. "Winter, excellent but you're still lacking in power…Weiss…just clean yourself up." The man ordered making Winter grit her teeth before bowing her head respectfully. She waited until he was gone before letting a tear escape as she glanced back at her downed sister._

" _Oh no…" Winter whispered as she turned back to the bloodied form of Weiss with nothing but regret and pain etched on to her face. "What have I done?" Winter asked as she fell to her knees as her father rushed to get Weiss immediate medical attention. "Why?" Winter wept as she silently prayed that her sister could make it out of this in one piece._

 _Never again, she swore. Never again would she ever harm her sister…_

… _Even if she had to leave her alone for the rest of their lives._

 **-?-**

Unknowingly, just like her neighbor, Weiss too sat up quickly in her bed with tears nearly blinding her as she thought back to that horrid training session which changed her family life forever and cost Weiss her sister. Weiss put her hands together and for the first time since she was a little girl, she prayed…prayed that someone or something could save her from her despair.

 **-Beacon Locker Room: Noon-**

 _ **["You've managed to impress Arisha, congrats. This means you're finally ready to carry our name. You can walk the walk now, but can you talk to talk? There's more to our family than skill, we have an image we need to carry. Spar with me for a bit."]**_

 **BGM: See What I've Become-Zack Hemsey**

Jaune stood in the locker room and strapped on his armguards as Fiona's words rung out through his head.

 _ **-Flash-**_

 _ ***CLANG!***_

 _ ***CLANG!***_

 _ ***CLANG!***_

 _ **["Is that the fucking best you got? You've barely grown since I trained you."]**_

Jaune rapidly clashed his sword with Dove's at an increasing speed until he knocked his opponent's blade across the arena before stepping forward with Crocea Mors clenched tightly in his fist while Fiona's words rung throughout his head. Dove's eyes widened in fear when he saw Jaune's weapon, internally Jaune hated the look of fear on his classmate's face and was going to turn around to deal with the other members of team CRDL.

 _ **-Flash-**_

Jaune looked down at his chest plate for a moment before putting it on.

 _ **-Flash-**_

 _ **["You're an Arc! You don't have the luxury of hesitation!"]**_

Jaune's blade never pulled back as it stabbed into Dove's chest, making his chest plate shatter like glass and sending him rag dolling across the arena.

 _ **-Flash-**_

Jaune sat down on a bench and tied his shoes.

 _ **-Flash-**_

 _ **["Fool. Look at your damn surroundings!"]**_

Jaune spun around and slammed a powerful kick into Russell's face which landed with a sickening crunch that would have sent him flying away had Jaune not suddenly dashed forward and delivered a vicious sword combo that tore apart his armor before he spun around and kicked him once more sending him crashing into the arena walls.

 _ **-Flash-**_

Jaune picked up Crocea Mors before making his way to the locker room's exit.

 _ **-Flash-**_

 _ ***KRAAANG!***_

Jaune raised his shield to block a shockwave from Cardin's mace before blasting forward and slamming his shield into the taller hunter three times before slashing at him twice. Interrupting his combo, he spun around to perfectly block Sky's Halberd, sending blue sparks flying everywhere, before continuing his combo on the silver haired hunter. Being able to interrupt his combos with a guard and then continue them was a skill he was all too happy to learn from Fiona before she left with Arisha. Suddenly, Jaune stepped to the side just in time to avoid an overhead swing from Cardin. Taking a step back, Jaune raised his foot and kicked the large hunter down on the ground.

"You bastard!" Cardin shouted as he swung wildly at Jaune whom kept dodging with narrowed eyes. "You think because you got some big family name that you're better than me!?" Cardin asked as he charged his mace with as much power as he could muster.

"No." Jaune said honestly as he extended his index finger from Crocea's handle and went to parry the mace with it.

 _ ***RIIIIIINNNNNNGGGG***_

 _ ***BOOOOOOOM!***_

"My family has nothing to do with why I'm better than you." Jaune said as bead of sweat slid down Cardin's face after his mace's power was suddenly redirected back towards it with twice the force, sending it blasting from Cardin's hands and up through the ceiling.

 _ **["Humility is a great virtue Jaune, but not towards your enemies. Let them know how much better than them you are, your victories must be overwhelming and absolute! That is the only way besides killing to prevent future battles."]**_

"Lower your head." Jaune said as he slammed his foot into Cardin's stomach. Jaune gritted his teeth as he recalled how he spotted Cardin bullying Velvet earlier that day.

 _ ***CRASH!***_

Cardin fell to his knees and coughed up blood when his armor shattered from the force of Jaune's kick. Crocea Mors was ignited in a golden flame as Jaune gazed down upon Cardin.

"I want to hear you forfeit." Jaune said making Cardin clench his fists tightly as he lowered his head

"I…I surrender." Cardin said quietly making Jaune frown as he tilted his head.

"Speak up." Jaune said making Cardin glare at him.

"I said I surrender!" Cardin snapped making Jaune nod his head.

"Watch your tone." Jaune said before kicking Cardin in the face, knocking him out instantly before sighing. _"Man that was hard to do! Guess it's just not in me to be so cruel, a few more minutes and I would have relented."_ Jaune thought with a frown as he sheathed his blade.

"Well done, if not a bit extreme Mr. Arc. Still, you are definitely ready for the upcoming tournament." Glynda said as she walked onto the stage. "Now I know that's a tough act to follow but we have time for one more sparring match. Any volunteers?" Glynda asked as Jaune looked up at the students to find a good amount of them, including his friends, blatantly gaping at him. He averted his eyes a bit when he felt their stares, he knew he went a bit far but he had his reasons. "Ms. Belladonna? You've been rather docile for the past few classes–"

"No! Please I'll do anything! Don't make me fight him!" Blake all but cried making her friends sweat-drop, though her fear seemed to be mirrored by the few Faunus students that were in the classroom. Cinder narrowed her eyes as she gazed at Jaune before glancing at Emerald. Getting the red-eyed woman's attention Cinder simply nodded her head towards the arena making Emerald nod in understanding.

"Now Ms. Belladonna you won't be fighting Mr.–"

"I'll fight." Emerald said as she stood up, cutting Glynda off in the process making the teacher blink in surprise.

"Oh, well then, let me just find–"

"Actually, I want to fight him." Emerald said making Pyrrha frown to herself as Jaune looked at her confusion.

"Mr. Arc has just finished a fight and will not–"

"I don't mind." Jaune said with a shrug. "A little more practice wouldn't hurt." Jaune said making Glynda sigh before nodding.

" _Just like his father, he doesn't know it yet but he's actually enjoying this."_ Glynda thought to herself as Emerald quickly made it down to the arena. Jaune unsheathed Crocea Mors while Emerald pulled out what looked like a pair of handguns.

 **BGM: PVP [Arena] Extended- Vindictus OST**

Jaune and Emerald circled each other as they tried to gauge their opponent. Jaune watched her cautiously as Emerald simply smirked and gave him a flirtatious wink which made him blink in confusion. At that moment, Emerald spun her guns in her hands before aiming at him and releasing a storm of bullets which he was barely able to block in time with his shield as he charged her. Emerald frowned as she was forced to roll to the side to avoid being shield bashed by the ancient shield.

 _ ***BANG!***_

 _ ***BANG***_

"Whoa!" Jaune yelped as he spun around swiftly and blocked the bullets. _"She's fast."_ Jaune thought in surprise as she charged him releasing bullet after bullet as he quickly moved his shield to protect him, releasing countless bright blue sparks in the process. Once she was close enough, her revolvers transformed into a pair of sickles making Jaune curse as he was forced to continuously parry them with his sword. Swiftly blocking two slashes of her sickles perfectly with his shield, Emerald was forced to hop back to avoid a vicious counterattack from the knight. Once she landed, Emerald blasted forward and swung her left weapon at Jaune.

 _ ***CLANG!***_

Jaune quickly parried the strike with his blade but grimaced when she slipped inside of his guard, so close that even his shield was incapable of warding her off. Time seemed to slow as she swung her right sickle at his neck intent on drawing first blood but as soon as it made contact…

 _ ***RIIING!***_

" _What!?"_ Emerald thought in alarm as a small blue flash erupted from the would-be point of impact that completely reversed the force of her attack back at her making her stumble back. Her weapon flew out of her hand and into to the stands forcing a few of the students duck to avoid the blade.

"My turn, let's try out my new move!" Jaune said as he stepped towards, his blade held tightly in his hand making her curse when she realized that she would be unable to protect herself from whatever he had planned.

"I forfeit." Emerald called out making him blink owlishly as he stumbled past her while she regained her footing.

"Wh-what?" Jaune asked incredulously as she holstered her weapon. "You just quit?"

"Hey, I know when to pick my battles. Besides, you're an Arc–pretty much spells out death don't you think?" Emerald said with a shrug as she brushed past him. "Maybe you can show me your moves later when there is less of a crowd." Emerald whispered to him making him gape as she pinched his rear and sauntered back up to the stands. She put an extra sway in her hips knowing that he was no doubt still watching her.

"Looks like Mr. Arc is the victor again, next time you might want to think a little bit harder before choosing an opponent." Glynda said sounding slightly annoyed as the bell rung. Up in the stands, Nora looked on at the stage with wide-eyes before turning to Pyrrha.

"Hey, she was pretty good." Nora pointed out before tensing as part of Pyrrha's desk cracked from the force of her grip as she stood up abruptly. "Ren help!" Nora yelped terrified of the ominous aura that was flowing from her teammate.

"Remember, the dance is this weekend and you all have your first mission on Monday!" Glynda called out as the students left the room.

 **-Later: RWBY's Dorm-**

 **BGM: Between the Sheets-The Isley Brothers**

" _ **Ah~ W-wait, I'm not r-ready…"**_ A blushing Crocea stuttered out as she lay on her back in Ruby's bed.

"Don't be shy, I'll be gentle." Ruby swore as her hands began to move at a steadily increasing pace. "See this isn't so bad, is it?"

" _ **I-it's been awhile–wait! No don't touch there-ahn~"**_ Crocea gasped out as her eyes began to glisten.

"This feels good doesn't it? See I told you it would be okay." Ruby chuckled as sweat dripped from her brow while Crocea panted breathlessly as she hid her face in her hands. "Wow, you're a dirty one aren't you?"

" _ **D-don't tease….I-idiot."**_ Crocea said quietly as she turned her head away from Ruby whom smiled before slowly moving her fingers down to a place that was rarely touched on Crocea. _**"W-wait, no-AHN~!"**_ Crocea cried out loudly as her back arched, her mind exploded in ecstasy before she simply passed out on Ruby's bed.

"There, done!" Ruby panted out with a smile as she wiped her brow.

 **BGM: END**

"Here you go, better than ever! Good idea buying that metal from Mistral, this poor girl was a couple battles away from breaking after taking so much punishment from your sister." Ruby said with a smile as she picked up the newly enhanced blade before turning to her friends, all of whom we're doing their best not to look at her. "What's wrong with you guys?"

"What did I just witness?" Ren muttered in confusion as a blushing Jaune looked away with a frown.

"I need a shower…why do I feel like my weapon has just been violated?" Jaune asked himself in confusion as Pyrrha simply covered her eyes, her cheeks as red as her hair while Nora hugged Ren tightly.

"R-Ren! I feel unclean!" Nora wept making Ren pat her back as he whispered comforting words to her.

"Yang, we need to have a long talk with your sister." A blushing Weiss said to Yang whom nodded quickly, her cheeks burning brightly. Blake just averted her eyes from the young huntress while muttering something about Ninjas in Love.

"You all are weird, have you never seen someone upgrade a weapon before?" Ruby asked skeptically as she handed the blade over to Jaune whom held as one would a dirty tissue with a grimace. Still, he couldn't help but appreciate the expert craftsmanship Ruby had done to his weapon. He couldn't wait until he could change into it.

"Glad I listened to you, the gold accents her nicely." Jaune said as he smiled at his partner whom averted her eyes with a blush at the praise.

"Yeah, and I hope you don't mind but I sort of used your weapons as an inspiration." Ruby said sheepishly making the Spartan wave off her concerns quickly.

"No, no, it's fine! It came out rather well, if anything I'm flattered you all think so highly of me." Pyrrha said modestly.

"Sorry, but the rest isn't ready, you're armor will be done in time for the festival though, I promise!" Ruby said making Jaune smile.

"Great! I look forward to it." Jaune said as he looked down at his current set. "This has helped me for a while but I doubt Dad wanted me to use it forever."

" _ **It felt s-so good master~"**_ Crocea said with a tired smile before fading away once Jaune sheathed her.

 **+1 Righteous Judgment Crocea Mors (+15)**

"Wait…" Jaune trailed off as he could see a faint orange glow above his weapon, even when it was sheathed. "Is Crocea glowing? Well, more than usual anyway."

"I am _very_ passionate about weapons." Ruby said firmly while hundreds of miles away in a distant continent, every single one of the Crimson Blades felt an urge to kill their resident blacksmith.

 **(Fun Fact: Let me explain for you non-Vindictus players out there. In Vindictus you can enhance your weapon 1-15 by going to a black smith named Ferghus. Problem is, this** _ **fucker**_ **sucks at his job. The higher he enhances it-the bigger chance there is for something to go wrong with it during the upgrade. 10+ has a high chance of straight up destroying your weapon each upgrade that only goes up. Truth be told hitting higher than 12 is a pipe dream**. **With this in mind, look back up at Crocea again and understand the gravity of his weapon enhancement.)**

The fact that Jaune felt his power increase drastically just by having Crocea Mors back in his possession told Jaune that he was incredibly lucky to have befriended Ruby Rose.

 _ **["Remember Jaune, strangers are just friends you haven't met yet."]**_

" _I love you mom."_ Jaune thought as he resisted the urge to weep once more grateful for deciding to talk to Ruby on his first day.

"R-right…well then." Weiss said as she cleared her throat before turning to Jaune. "Moving on, we need to go shopping in the morning and find us some formal attire, more so you than me I suspect."

"Right, now that Yang finally paid me I have more than enough cash to get something to wear. Gotta admit though, I didn't expect to be spending any of the money on this." Jaune said making Weiss nod with a sigh.

"I'll apologize in advance, it's completely last minute I know but my father is too stubborn." Weiss muttered making Jaune wave her off.

"Hold up. What's going on? You two going somewhere?" Yang asked in confusion making both Weiss and Jaune sigh.

"My father wants to celebrate our… _union."_ Weiss said with obvious distaste, an expression that was mirrored on Jaune's face. "He's throwing an engagement party tomorrow night, so Jaune and I are going to use this opportunity to try to make him see reason."

"And since this is so last minute I need to go grab a suit which, now that I think about it, isn't such a bad idea with the dance this weekend." Jaune mused. "Our plan is to go to the party, act like a couple to save her father some face…then break the news to him afterwards that we refuse to get married so that he can come up with some excuse later to explain why we aren't hitched." Jaune quickly explained as he felt the piercing glare Pyrrha gave him.

He didn't even have to look at her to know she didn't like the idea, her rage was almost palpable. The slight annoyance on Ruby's face didn't make him feel any safer.

Oh dear God if Delia found out…

…Jaune shuddered…

Now don't get him wrong, Weiss was beautiful, smart, and rich, he had no qualms about dating her at all but even he couldn't just up and get married at seventeen. Not to mention the fact that his relationship with Pyrrha was still in a grey area since they both still hadn't talked things out after his resurrection and their first kiss.

Then there was the fact that Ruby turned out to be _slightly_ possessive when it came to their friendship. He marked it off as them being each other's first legit friend but he was prepared in case it turned out to be something else. Their friends tended to write Ruby off as a kid since she was fifteen and–let's face it–adorable. He almost did too until he remembered what _he_ was like a fifteen…or more specifically his twin and many of their sisters.

No, Jaune knew very well that in this day in age innocence died quickly which is why he refused to let his guard down around Ruby.

Then there was the issue with Delia…no…he wasn't even going to begin to open that can of worms. Truth be told, he could see himself being happy with Weiss, Ruby, or Pyrrha…that said, Pyrrha fucking terrified him on a level he hadn't felt since his sisters. He's seen her fight and knew it was in his best interest to not play around with her heart.

 _ **["Jaune, my boy, let me tell you something that I want you to remember for as long as you live. No matter how powerful an Arc man is–it pales in comparison to their women. I don't care how strong you think you are because your woman will still find a way to kill you. They are simply the one person you have no hopes of ever truly being safe from."]**_

The words of wisdom of Jaune's father rang out through his head for a moment before he shook his head to clear it. Every last woman in the room had the potential to kill him if they truly wanted him dead, if not face to face then at least in his sleep. Sometimes the overbearing estrogen was so much that he and Ren had to take "bro-cations" and just hang out in Vale for a few hours.

Jaune loved all his friends equally despite the genders, but after that one month when team RWBY, Pyrrha, and Nora all simultaneously received a visit from their 'aunt flow' he and Ren had become brothers in arms. The best way to describe that month would be to compare it to that old movie "Saving Private Caboose". To this day, he and Ren still had flashbacks.

 **-Insert sounds of gunfire and explosions-**

"… _ **Go…Go on without me…"**_

" _ **I'm not leaving you Ren! I'm not–"**_

 _ ***BOOOOOM!***_

" _ **Run, Jaune! Run and LIVEEEE!"**_

" _ **RENNNNN!"**_

"…aune, Jaune!" Weiss shouted, snapping Jaune from his thoughts. His and Ren's tale of heroism would have to wait for another day.

"Sorry, spaced out, what did you say?" Jaune asked as Ren shook his head in pity.

"I asked if heading out right after school sounded good to you?" Weiss asked again sounding a bit annoyed making him nod sheepishly.

"Sorry, yeah, we'll go after class, get something to throw on, and the sooner we get this party out of the way, the sooner we can be single." Jaune said with a nod. "Also, I gotta pick up some things for my guitar as well."

"What? You can play the guitar?" Yang asked curiously making him shrug.

"Hey, we all need a hobby. Besides, if this huntsmen thing doesn't work out–traveling bard is my back up." Jaune said with a chuckle.

"An extra stop won't hurt I suppose, as long as we make it to the docks on time." Weiss said with a nod and deep down Jaune really hoped the plan could just be that simple, after all.

" _What's the worst that can happen?"_ Jaune wondered to himself.

 **-Meanwhile: With Cinder, Mercury, and Emerald-**

"So tell me Emerald, what did you find out about our little knight from your fight?" Cinder asked curiously as they sat in their dorm.

"Well combat wise it's pretty straight forward, he uses a sword and a shield. Though he's proficient in both his blade is merely a distraction, his damage output comes mainly from that shield of his in the form of counterattacks. Honestly, I haven't seen someone that skilled with a shield before." Emerald began before frowning. "Though from that fight with team CRDL it's obvious we cannot rule out his blade, it seems he has a trick or two with it that can be dangerous if you are not careful when fighting him."

"And his aura?" Cinder questioned curiously making Emerald frown in thought.

"That's what separates him from the rest, he has a lot of Aura, possibly even more than you ma'am…well before your _upgrade_ that is. If anything it's on par with or just lower now." Emerald said as she noted the fire that seemed to linger behind Cinder's eyes. "I could feel it just by being close to him in combat and it seems he has a Semblance worthy of it." Emerald explained. "It appears that he can use his aura to turn his body into a shield that reflects damage back at a greater force by adding his own power into the mix, how much he can reflect–I don't know–but it seems to be a lot. The only way through it seems to be to attack faster than he can track and attack him in a blind spot but that is a speed I can't reach easily." Emerald said with a frown.

"So basically in a head on fight he's invincible?" Mercury said with a frown making her nod.

"His shield, high aura, and Semblance pretty much make him immortal on the battlefield, this could pose a problem. Also, you've watched the news. He stopped a demon in Vale during his first semester. His sister slaughtered all of Adam's men and mortally wounded him and if the gossip here can be trusted, he even put up a fight against his sister." Emerald said as she turned to Cinder who actually looked a bit excited. "What should we do, ma'am?"

"Nothing." Cinder said with a smirk making Emerald and Mercury's eyes widen in confusion.

"Excuse me?" Mercury said in surprise, it wasn't like Cinder to let a potential threat this big go unchecked.

"Ma'am, surely you're joking–"

"Not at all." Cinder said with a dismissive wave. "We try to harm him, we die. It is really that simple. Say we do kill him. Don't you know what happens then? I'll tell you. His family will become our enemies and that is something we cannot deal with this early, if at all." Cinder said before grimacing. _**"She**_ is powerful enough to face them, but the rest of us will be collateral."

"Are you…are you actually afraid of the Arcs?" Mercury asked incredulously as Emerald gave him a glare as if telling him to be silent.

"I've seen the security footage of the assault on Adam. I've seen a glimpse of what Jaune can become–no–surpass. We can take him down but his sister would require me to go all out and even then it is fifty-fifty and that's if another one of his family members don't intervene. That said though, he and his siblings are not what I'm trying to avoid." Cinder drawled.

"Then who–"

"Of course!" Emerald interrupted Mercury, confusing him as he turned to her. "Think Mercury, if it isn't Jaune or his siblings–who else is left from that family that poses a threat?" Mercury frowned in thought for a bit before his face paled as he felt his heart plummet.

"Oh."

"Yes oh." Cinder drawled unimpressed. "Believe me, the current patriarch is the last person you want as an enemy. Do you think killing his only son is going to help us in any way?"

"Then what do we do? They aren't going anywhere–the only way this plan succeeds now is if we deal with the Arcs." Mercury said making Cinder chuckle.

"Now, now, Mercury. There is more than one way to skin a cat. We can always simply get the Arcs to side with us." Cinder said with a smirk. "The little knight is young and impressionable, I'm sure between myself and Emerald he can be… _persuaded_ …to join our side. We get him, we get the Arcs when he comes of age and takes his father's place."

"But won't that cost us the White Fang's loyalty?" Mercury questioned.

"You don't really think there is a place for that menagerie in the end-game do you? They cannot stop first years, one Arc slaughtered _dozens_ of them without mercy a mere week ago before proceeding to walk into Beacon, a school filled with powerful teachers and students, and starting a fight. No there is no room for those weaklings, but I'm willing to make room for the Arcs as is _**she**_. _"_ Cinder said with a sinister chuckle. "We get Arc, we get the world."

"Brilliant as always ma'am." Emerald said with a smile making Cinder nod.

"We need to hurry things up. We need to take complete control of the White Fang. To do that, we need to remove Adam from the equation unfortunately. Crush their hope, give them no choice but to follow us and then we can use those pawns however we see fit." Cinder stated as she turned to Mercury. "Junior has informed me that there is a gathering at the Schnee mansion in honor of our ill made knight and the heiress. Tell Adam the plan is to attack there, he'll have no complaints about attacking the Schnees."

"How's that going to rid us of Adam?" Mercury questioned in confusion.

"The Arc patriarch is attending, Adam will attack and he and his followers will die. Jaune is still green, such carnage will no doubt traumatize him…if we're lucky he might even get his first kill and really have his will shaken. That will give me the perfect opportunity to see to his…healing." Cinder chuckled. "I will show him how rotten this world is and prove to him that it is up to the strong to change it." Cinder said as she gained a thousand yard stare. "The strong are the only ones who can."

 **-Flashback: Mistral: Fifteen Years Ago-**

 _A little girl of about eight years of age ran through a destroyed village on her bare feet. Her skin was covered in ashes and her wrists and ankles were covered by iron cuffs. Over her body was a simple large tattered white shirt that reached down just above her knees. Her ebony hair blew in the air as embers rained down like snow and reflected in her golden eyes. She kept running until she stumbled to a stop when she saw a large blonde man, garbed in black armor standing with his back to her._

 _ ***CRACK!***_

 _ ***CRASH!***_

 _The girl didn't even flinch when a building collapsed as she gazed at the man's back with wide eyes. Around his neck was a collar of black fur, hanging off his shoulders was a black cape that had a golden arc embroidered on it. On his back was a long double-edge two-handed sword. The blade was black with a golden edge and written on the side of the blade in silver was a single word._

 _ **E.X.-Calibur**_

" _Hm?" The man muttered as he turned around and faced the young girl, his cold blue eyes widening slightly as he saw her panting tiredly. He scratched his short golden beard in thought as he tilted his head. "Looks like there was a survivor, apparently I didn't arrive too late after all." The man mused. "You're probably too young to understand but the inhabitants of this town were bad people, so I took care of them." The man said before narrowing his eyes at her cuffs. "Or maybe you're not too young."_

 _The girl said nothing as the man approached her and knelt down until he was eye level with her and broke off her cuffs with sheer strength alone._

" _There, now I must be going. People are coming soon that will take care of you, give you a life you deserve. Just stay strong a little longer kid–" The man stopped when the girl hugged him tightly, her shoulders shaking as she sobbed into his neck._

" _Take me with you!"_

" _You don't even know me."_

" _I don't care, take me with you!" The girl shouted making him sigh as he pried her off of him and stood up._

" _I'm traveling this world, fighting things that would give you nightmares. You're not strong enough to come with me." The man tried to explain making her glare up at him, her tears and dried blood staining her face_

" _Then make me strong! Strong enough to stop the bad people myself!" The girl ordered making him sigh before pulling off his blade and stabbing it into the ground right in front of her, making her jump back in fear._

" _Tell you what, carrying this thing hurts my back. I need someone strong enough to carry my burdens, you want to come along? Carry my sword." The man ordered making the girl nod with a frown before she grasped the hilt tightly in both hands and struggled to move it to no avail. Minutes passed as the man watched her strain herself until the point of tears in a vain attempt to move his blade. "As I thought. You need to be strong to survive this world, you are either born that way or you aren't. You need a tenacity I simply cannot teach you." The man said as he crossed his arms. "Give up." The man ordered as the girl was practically hanging from the sword at this point, both feet planted firmly on the side of the blade as she leaned back. "I said–"_

 _ ***BOOOOM!***_

" _What?" The man muttered with a frown as he saw her aura unlock, nearby windows shattered and the broken fragments of glass shot down towards them, digging through the earth surrounding the blade. Eventually, the girl fell to her back with the blade falling next to her before weakly standing up, grasping the hilt tightly in her hands, and dragging the massive blade towards the shocked man._

" _Take me with you." The girl demanded again making him frown as he stared at her, before a small smile graced his lips._

" _You got a fire in your eye girl, fine, you can tag along for a bit but as soon as you're strong enough I'm ditching you." The man drawled. "What's your name, kid?"_

"…"

" _Ah, well slaves don't normally have names I suppose." The man mused as he watched specks of flame fall down around the girl as the village burned behind her. "Fine, from this point on you'll go by Cinder…Cinder Fall, seems fitting." The man said before turning around, his cape billowing behind him like a flag and hitting the girl in her face. "Let's go, try to keep up." The man said as he began walking away, the smirk on his face growing by the second as he heard his weapon being dragged behind him._

 _ **Flashback: END**_

" _Yes, the little Arc will become strong. I guarantee it."_ Cinder thought with a smirk.

 **-The Next Afternoon-**

"Hm, not bad. I must say you clean up quite nice after all, Arc." Weiss said as Jaune stepped out of a changing room in an expensive looking black tux.

"Thanks, you're not so bad yourself." Jaune said as he gave Weiss a once over. She was wearing what could be best described as a black version of her usual attire only her jacket was missing and the skirt hugged her hips a bit more. Embroidered in white on her left breast was her signature Schnee snowflake emblem. "Though, you're missing a couple of things."

"Excuse me?" Weiss asked sounding slightly affronted making Jaune raise his hands defensively.

"Relax, you look amazing. You're just missing some things no one else would think to bring to this kind of party, that's all." Jaune said calmly.

"Oh like what?" Weiss questioned skeptically as she crossed her arms.

"Well for one you're missing a holster to carry your sword, I saw this coming though and bought you one while you were getting dressed." Jaune said as he tossed her a black leather holster. "Call your locker and grab your weapon later."

"Why would I need Myrtenaster? We're just having dinner and talking and the party." Weiss said making Jaune sigh.

"I know, but for this to work we need _both_ sets of our parents to believe us. This means it is key that you can pass as an Arc woman. So first thing is first, you need your weapon on you at all times. An Arc is always ready for battle, even my younger sisters keep a blade hidden on them at all times." Jaune explained making her shake her head as she strapped the holster around her waist.

"Are you serious?"

"Yup. I might even catch hell for showing up in just a suit, expect my dad to be wearing his full battle gear." Jaune said and chuckled at her expression of disbelief. "Mom's probably washing the blood off of his equipment as we speak."

"But…but Grimm blood doesn't even stay on your equipment for long before evaporating, what could she possibly have to clean!?" Weiss asked making Jaune give her a pitying look.

"If you think Grimm are the only thing my Dad hunts, you are mistaken. He hunts monsters, Weiss, even people can be monsters." Jaune explained making her pale a bit. "Weiss, I don't know you well despite being…friends? Acquaintances? Whatever. I get you might not have the…closest…relationship with your father, and it's not my place at all to say this…but be glad you never had to watch him come home covered in blood that both was and wasn't his with a blade sticking out of his back." Jaune said with a shudder making her grimace.

"R-right…" Weiss muttered. It was one thing to see a man you barely like coming home angry day after day. However, she couldn't imagine seeing a man you loved coming back after who knows how long in pain or even near death.

"Anyway, enough of that. I also made this for you." Jaune said as he handed her a black and gold version of her usual jacket that had the Arc emblem in gold on the back. "If we're engaged you need to wear my emblem."

"You _made_ this?" Weiss asked incredulously as she put it on. Honestly, the quality of this jacket actually surpassed her usual one.

"Seven sisters." Jaune deadpanned as if that explained it all…and in a way it did.

"Two emblems…well this is not something you usually see." Weiss said with a still slightly stunned expression on her face, as if the fact she was actually engaged had just began to sink in.

"Two emblems, that's right! If we really need to seal the deal you still need to hear _that_ story."

"What story?" Weiss asked in confusion.

"The story behind my second emblem…well not exactly my emblem, but we won't talk about it here. Come on we can grab some ice cream and go to the park for this, kill some time until the party." Jaune said with a smile as he led the heiress out of the shop after paying for their clothes.

 **-Later-**

"So you said you had a second emblem? I've never saw it before at all." Weiss said making him nod.

"Like I said, it's not technically an emblem. It's just Pumpkin Pete, It's under my chest plate, stitched in to my hoodie. You can see it a bit when I move around now that I think about it." Jaune said and after thinking about it for a second, Weiss realized that there was some sort of grayish pattern that peeked out from under his chest plate from time to time.

"What did you do? Send in a box top for a prize?" Weiss asked as she looked at him skeptically making him blush before pouting.

"Yeah…like fifty…"

 _*Snort*_

"Don't laugh!" Jaune said as Weiss burst into a fit of giggles at the look on his face making him pout more…that pout stopped for a moment, though, when he realized how pretty she looked when she didn't have a scowl planted on her face.

"Look, its tradition that we all wear the image of a rabbit somewhere on us." Jaune revealed confusing Weiss. "It's in honor of the greatest Arc in our family, Joan."

"I thought the greatest Arc was the one in the Great War, I mean there is a statue of him at Beacon!" Weiss exclaimed before grimacing slightly. "Not to mention animal emblems are usually only found with the Faunus families."

"To the general populace it is him that's the greatest, but to us Joan earned that title easily. Look, I know you have your…reservations…about the Faunus but at least hear me out." Jaune said with a sigh. "You knowing this story is the final thing we need to make sure no one suspects anything during the party."

"Alright…I'm listening." Weiss said with a small frown.

"My Ancestor…the one who started my family, no one knows where he came from. He is literally the farthest back we can trace our bloodline. Legends say he appeared from the sky of all things." Jaune said with a chuckle, though now he was suspecting that was truer than originally thought. "He came to Vale, wounded and was looked after by a young rabbit Faunus named Joan. Time passed and he took her with her on his travels and even his battles. She fought alongside him with an unwavering loyalty and eventually they fell in love."

"But back then…such unions…" Weiss began making Jaune nod.

"Resulted in death." Jaune finished for her. "A few years after she gave birth to their son, rumors began to come out that she and my ancestor were heretics. Even though he denied the claims, no one would believe him…the only way was to prove that he did not care for her. She agreed to be taken away, chained up and dust only knows what else before they finally set her ablaze."

"What!?" Weiss asked in horror, she was just getting around to accepting the Faunus herself but that…that was just horrifying. "Surely he could have saved her–"

"And then he along with my family would be branded traitors instead of heroes. Persecuted rather than praised and Joan didn't want that for us. My ancestor fought her every step of the way and even planned to escape with her but she slipped some sleeping medicine in his food and turned herself in that night." Jaune said with a sigh. "Ever since then, even when that kind of thinking was abandoned, rabbit Faunus in particular have had our protection."

"So earlier...with Cardin…"

"Yup." Jaune said with a nod. "He messed with Velvet, if word had gotten out that I knew about that and did nothing, there is no telling what my family would have done to me…and even if they would do nothing, he still pissed me off." Jaune said with a frown. "Sorry about sharing that, I know it's not the most uplifting tale but it's family history you might be expected to know–"

"–Stop, don't explain, I understand." Weiss interrupted with a frown. "Thank you for sharing that despite of knowing my reservations towards Faunus but do not expect me treat you differently…" Weiss trailed off before a smirk crossed her lips. "You silly rabbit."

 **\+ 1 Title: Silly Rabbit**

"Oh hell no, you are not going to start calling me that!" Jaune exclaimed making her laugh.

"Only if you insist on calling me by that damnable nickname." Weiss threatened making Jaune sigh.

"Sorry, Snow Angel, no can do. If I did that we'd never see emotion from the infamous ice queen." Jaune said making her roll her eyes.

"Oh I'm not that bad!"

"Hate to break it to you but outside of our teams, people are beginning to wonder if you even have emotions." Jaune said bluntly.

"…That bad?"

"Yup, seriously a smile would not kill you every once in a while, especially if we're supposed to sell this couple in love thing." Jaune pointed out making her sigh before giving him a radiant smile that actually made his heart skip a bit. "Huh, what?" Jaune asked as he realized he missed her say something.

"I asked, how was that?" Weiss repeated sounding a bit annoyed.

"G-good. *Ah-hem* keep that up, it should fool anyone." Jaune said seriously making her nod. _"Even me…what was THAT!?"_

"Good, now let's go we need to head to the music store, head back to the dorms, and then catch the next airship now if we are expected to make it to my home in time." Weiss said as she stood up. "Thanks for the ice cream, by the way."

"Please, you bought the clothes, it was the least I could do. Lead the way Snow Angel." Jaune said with an exaggerated bow.

"It'd be my pleasure rabbit."

"Ugh!"

*Giggle*

 **-Later: Bards, Bands, &Beyond-**

"Finally, I've been putting this off for way too long." Jaune said as he handed the cashier some money. Weiss frowned a bit as she swore she saw the old man behind the register before. In fact, he looked a lot like the owner of the Dust shop.

And the flower shop.

And the tea shop.

And the coffee house.

And the ramen stand.

And the bakery.

And a few of the bookstores.

And a nearby bar

And…wait was that him crossing the street outside right now?

Weiss blinked owlishly as she glanced out of the window of the store and saw a similar man whistling as he walked across the street. Glancing between the two frantically, she was about to say something when the man gave her a quick look that told her it would be in her best interest to remain silent.

"Ready Weiss?" Jaune asked as he strapped his guitar on his back, startling Weiss.

"Uh…yes…" Weiss trailed off as she looked at the shop-keeper apprehensively before both she and Jaune left the store. Frowning, Weiss checked the time on her scroll before glancing up at Jaune. "We still have an hour before the air-ship to Beacon arrives. I wasn't expecting you to be so…easy to shop with."

"Seven–"

"–Sisters, got it." Weiss said with a small smile which he returned. "So what do we do now, then?"

"Simple, we sit down…and we _relax."_ Jaune said as he pulled off his guitar and sat down at a nearby bench, stretching a bit as he did so. Seeing Weiss looking a bit perplexed, Jaune raised an eye-brow. "What? Don't tell me you don't know how to relax?"

"What? Of course I do you dolt!" Weiss said as she crossed her arms with a huff making him chuckle a bit. "I'm just…"

"…Not used to it?" Jaune questioned getting her attention as he hit the nail on the head. "Man, I feel you, it feels like things haven't stopped moving since we joined Beacon. If we're not training, we're studying. If we're not studying, we're fighting monsters and family members…or violent extremists in your case." Jaune said as he looked at her skeptically while letting the end of his sentence hang.

Seriously, he didn't know which team got wrapped up in the crazier situation.

Team RWBY with the terrorists or team JNPR with the random demons that wanted him dead.

"Exactly." Weiss said before eventually sitting down next to him. It was strange, when she thought about it. This really had been the first time she just had time to relax in God knows how long. "Though in my case, I haven't had time long before entering Beacon."

"You're kidding me right?"

"Not at all, at home it's always been so…tense…like you're constantly walking on eggshells day after day trying to uphold the family image. Anything less than perfection is frowned upon." Weiss said before frowning. "I apologize, I have no idea why I'm telling you this."

"Uh, because we're friends?" Jaune said making her blink before turning to face him. She stared at him for a moment before she felt her lips curl up slightly despite herself.

"Hm, I suppose we are aren't we?" Weiss mused as Jaune tuned his guitar.

"Still, you didn't even have a hobby or anything to entertain yourself?" Jaune questioned making her frown.

"Well…I liked to sing."

" _Liked?"_ Jaune repeated looking a bit affronted. "One does not simply give up a passion for music!" Jaune said with a mock glare making her roll her eyes.

"When my father found out I was good at it, he turned it into a tool for him to use. Concert after concert, he'd have me sing to please his colleagues." Weiss said with obvious distaste as she clenched her fist slightly. "My hobby, became a simple business tool." Weiss explained making Jaune grimace before she released a long breath. "No use getting upset over it now. So…" Weiss began as she turned to face him. "Playing a guitar, is that your hobby?"

"For a moment, I thought it was my calling. I was always the least talented of my siblings when it came to fighting and was honestly going to just give up and go into music, my family supported the decision…but at the same time…"Jaune trailed off before smiling fondly. "…my mom always said a dream never chased is a dream never achieved. So despite everything I kept on fighting, literally, no matter what anyone said."

"You should be very grateful, I wish I could do that."

"Do what? Chase your dream? Isn't that why you're here?" Jaune asked curiously making her laugh a bit as she shook her head.

"No, not that. I'm a person who can get nearly everything I ever want, but you, Yang, and Ruby still make me envious." Weiss said honestly making him look at her in confusion. "I wish…I wish I could talk about my family the way you all do. You can tell that you're loved by the way your eyes light up every time you mention them."

"Come on Weiss, I'm sure you're loved. Even if your Dad completely sucks ass at showing it, I'm sure deep down there is some sort of love in his heart." Jaune said before frowning. "Truth be told, my Dad and I didn't get along until I was ten." Jaune said as he placed a hand on his guitar. "Until then he had tried so hard to train me whenever he finished training Arisha, given up so much of the little he free time he had only for me to disappoint him. When I told him I was thinking of switching to music, I thought he'd disown me…"

"But?" Weiss asked curiously.

"He gave me this guitar instead, sat down with me and said if this is what I wanted he'd help in any way he could. That's when I realized…he wasn't mad at _me,_ he was mad at himself for not being able to help me." Jaune said with a sad smile. "I'm not saying your father is the same way, of course. What I'm saying is that there is a _chance_ that he has his reasons for being the way he is. Tell you what, after tonight when this blows over just ask him what exactly he wants form you. Even if it's an answer you don't like, at least you'll _know."_

"I…I guess I'll give it a shot, what else do I have to lose? I'll be lucky if he doesn't disown me after we call this engagement off." Weiss said making Jaune laugh.

"That makes two of us, my Dad will kill me when he finds out I let you 'slip' from my fingers." Jaune said before giving her a playful wink. "You're one hell of a catch." Jaune said making her blush lightly. "I mean you're so _rich._ "

"You jerk!" Weiss said, though she was smiling as she slapped his arm. "You're only after my money?" Weiss asked with a laugh as he grinned at her.

"When have I ever said that I wasn't a gold digger?" Jaune questioned curiously. "Do you know how many repairs I can buy from Ruby if we got hitched?" Jaune asked as he did his best to keep a straight face only for it to fall moments later as both he and Weiss burst out into laughter. After a few moments, Weiss calmed down as she wiped a tear from her eye.

"So, your father was really okay with you not being a hunter?" Weiss asked making Jaune laugh.

"Okay? He taught me my first song!" Jaune said surprising Weiss.

"Oh? Well we have time to kill, let's hear it."

"What?"

"You heard me." Weiss said with a smirk. "Unless you're all talk and can't play at all."

"See what you did? Now I have to show you how it's done." Jaune said with a sigh. "You brought this upon yourself."

"I feel sorry for my ears already." Weiss said getting a half-hearted glare from Jaune whom got a better hold on his instrument.

 **-Seven Years Ago: Arc Household-**

" _Arthur, you know you should be in bed, I just did your bandages!" Jaune's mother called out from the kitchen where she was preparing that night's dinner._

" _Don't worry honey, I'll be fine, I need to show these brats of ours how it's done! My pride is at stake." Arthur said petulantly as he sat on a chair in nothing but a pair of black slacks while his chest was covered in bandages._

" _You sure you're okay, old man?" A sixteen year old Fiona questioned skeptically as she sat on a couch with Jaune and Delia. The latter whom was snuggled into her brother's side as she watched her father curiously while playing with the flower that was in her long blonde hair._

" _You were run through by an Alpha- Beowulf after all." Arisha said calmly as she leaned against a nearby wall, her face showing nothing but pure skepticism._

" _Please, it's just a flesh wound!" Arthur said as he waved off their concerns. "Now get ready, Jaune." Arthur said with a grin as he faced his son before strumming the chords. "This is the tool to win any woman's heart."_

" _Mooooooom, Dad's corrupting Jaune again!" Fiona called out._

" _ **What!?"**_

" _Nothing honey!" Arthur said nervously, giving his smirking daughter a glare before clearing his throat. Now here we go." Arthur said as Jaune looked on in interest._

 _ **BGM: Must be nice (Instrumental)-Lyfe Jennings**_

" _No way." Fiona mutter quietly as she heard her father play the guitar expertly while humming to himself. Behind him, the heavily pregnant form of Jaune's mother leant against a nearby wall as she crossed her arms, smiling a bit to herself._

" _Here is a lesson for you, Jaune. Whenever you do find the girl of your dreams. Don't you dare let them slip through your fingers." Arthur said seriously. "We don't find love easily." Arthurs told Jaune whom blinked when he felt Delia tighten her grip on his hand as Arthur began to sing._

" _ **Must be nice  
Havin' someone who understands the life you live  
Must be nice  
Havin' someone who's slow to take and quick to give  
Must be nice  
Havin' someone who sticks around when the rough times get thick  
Someone who's smile is bright enough to make the battlefield feel like a mansion  
Must be nice  
**_ _ **Havin' someone who loves you despite your faults**_ _ **  
Must be nice  
Havin' someone who talks the talk but also walks the walk  
Must be nice  
**_ _ **Havin' someone who understands that an Arc has feelings too**_ _ **  
Someone who loves you for sho'  
You just remember to never let 'em go**_

'Cause even when your huntin' days are gone  
She'll be by your side still holdin' on  
And even when those missions start endin'  
And all those gold-diggin' women disappear  
She'll still be here"

 _Jaune's mother placed her hands on Arthurs shoulders, massaging the stiff muscles before she leant forward and pressed a kiss to the side of his cheek making him smile a bit as he sang._

 _ **"Must be nice  
Havin' someone you can come home to from a long day of work  
Must be nice  
**_ _ **Havin' someone you don't have to show they know exactly where it hurts**_ _ **  
Must be nice"**_

 **-Present: With Jaune and Weiss-**

Weiss was blatantly gaping at him as they ended up drawing quite the crowd.

 _ **"Havin' someone who trusts you despite what they've heard  
Someone as mighty as a lion but still as gentle as a bluebird."**_

Jaune sang as he winked at Weiss whom felt extremely embarrassed when she heard people "awing".

 _ **"Must be nice  
Havin' someone you don't have to tell you don't want to be alone  
Must be nice  
Havin' someone you can grow old with until God calls ya'll home  
Must be nice  
Havin' someone who understands that an Arc has feelings too  
Someone who loves you for sho'  
You never let 'em go"**_

Jaune was smiling brightly at Weiss as he continued to sing. So into it he didn't notice the crowd whispering or that a few of them had their scrolls out. Weiss definitely noticed but even she couldn't find it in her to stop Jaune at the moment.

 _ **"Cause even when your huntin' days are gone  
She'll be by your side still holdin' on  
And even when those missionss start endin'  
And all those gold-diggin' women disappear  
She'll still be here  
'Cause even when your huntin' days are gone  
She'll be by your side still holdin' on  
And even when those missionss start endin'  
And all those gold-diggin' women disappear  
She'll still be here"**_

Jaune's eyes were closed as his face showed nothing but emotion as he began to bring the song to an end

 _ **"'Cause even when your huntin' days are gone  
She'll be by your side still holdin' on  
And even when those quests start endin;  
And all those gold-diggin' women disappear  
She'll still be here."**_

 **BGM: END**

"See, told you–" Jaune stopped talking as he saw the stunned look on Weiss face. He was about to gloat when a sudden applause got both of their attention making Weiss blush as she and Jaune noticed the rather large crowd that had gathered. "Uh...how long…"

"Awhile."

"…"

"…"

"…l-let's just head back to the docks." Jaune said eventually as both he and Weiss grabbed their things. Jaune almost wished he had brought Crocea with him because moving through the crowd proved to be quite the task in of itself.

 **-Hours Later: Schnee Family Mansion-**

"Okay…that's way too much house." Jaune said in awe once they entered the main gate. "And that's saying something without how big my family is."

"Always throwing parties for new investors or potential business partners, we needed a fashionable place to entertain them." Weiss explained before tilting her head. "Though I will admit it is a bit much, never got the chance to bunk with my sister as a child."

"What? You mean you never had to listen to gossip about boys when trying to take a nap before?" Jaune asked sounding scandalized. "Tell me that you've at least fought for the bathroom before."

"Nope, there are actually eleven bathrooms, maybe more–mother did always enjoy spontaneously renovating." Weiss mused making Jaune shake his head.

"You have no idea what you've missed."

"You're probably right." Weiss admitted with a touch of sadness in her voice. "Share your experiences with me one day, it might give me an idea."

"Haha, if you want to hear the misadventures of me and the seven deadly sisters just let me know. I could probably write a book." Jaune chuckled as they approached the entrance.

"Madame." A butler said with a bow as he opened the door before turning to Jaune. "Ah and pleased to meet you as well Master Arc, your parents are already inside."

"Thank you Klein." Weiss said with a bright smile.

"Well better not keep them waiting." Jaune said as he nodded to the butler as she stepped through the door. "Thank you."

"Oh and Master Arc." The butler continued as he put a vice like grip on Jaune's shoulder, making the knight shudder as he felt a surge of killing intent directed towards him. "I know Madame Weiss is your betrothed but please be sure to treat her with care…it would be a shame if something…bad…would happen to you. Do we have an understanding?" Klein questioned and for a moment, Jaune swore he saw the man's irises go red.

"U-Understood." Jaune said making the butler nod with a smile as he entered the house. "Uh…that's a very…interesting butler you have."

"Hm? Oh Klein? Yes he was my fencing instructor and body guard when I was younger, nice man." Weiss said with a small smile making Jaune nod.

" _That explains a lot."_ Jaune thought with a sweat drop as he glanced back at the butler whom drew a line across his neck before closing the door.

"Jaune? Ah you made it just on time, son." A masculine voice said making Jaune grin as he turned to face his father whom was garbed in black armor, a matching cape on his back with two golden arcs. His expression was firm but not unkind and his cold blue eyes seemed to hold nothing but wisdom. All in all to Weiss, this man seemed to be the text book definition of a warrior, especially with the blade on his back.

"Of course he made it on time, he knows better than to show up late to an event such as this. Isn't that right Jaune?" A raven haired woman with bright violet eyes whom had her arm interlocked with the armored man questioned coolly. Now at this moment, Weiss was sure that anyone whom claimed she was an ice queen would take that back upon meeting this woman whom had to be Jaune's mother. Though if she hadn't already seen both of Jaune's older sisters she was positive she would have mistaken the woman before her as one of them.

" _This woman had eight children?"_ Weiss wondered incredulously before repressing a chill as the woman's piercing gaze slid over to her.

Now Weiss was a brave young woman whom feared nearly nothing.

But this woman before her disturbed her in ways she couldn't quite fathom.

"Morgana Arc." Morgana said as she extended a hand towards Weiss whom took it.

"Weiss Schnee." Weiss said nervously, not sure why she was on guard with this woman.

"Oops, seemed to have forgotten my manners. Arthur Arc, pleased to meet you." Arthur said with a smile.

"Hmph, eat better. A body like that is incapable of caring for an heir." Morgana muttered making Jaune face-palm.

"Oh dear dust, no." Jaune said before looking up at his father pleadingly. Now…Jaune was not the coolest person in the world but when he was younger, to what he would guess is many people's surprise, even he managed to get the occasional girlfriend, somehow charming them with his special brand of awkwardness…the problem was they didn't last long. In fact, none of the children in that household could forge lasting relationships. The boys and occasional girls whom liked his sisters were too terrified of their father and the girls that liked him? Well…they didn't last long under his mother's scrutiny.

…That's if Delia or Arisha didn't get to them first anyway…

Safe to say, Jaune and his siblings had all considered the possibility of being loners the rest of their lives at one point. The messed up part about it was that Jaune was positive his parents were hypocrites as his Dad would always try to get him laid while protecting his daughters' 'virtue' and his mother would always try to get her daughters to find a good man while cock-blocking Jaune at every turn claiming Jaune was too much like his father for comfort.

Jaune didn't understand what that meant until he sat down and did the math one day.

His father was forty.

His mother was thirty eight.

Fiona was twenty three.

Do.

The.

Math.

Life was…interesting…at the Arc household. Still that too was a story for another day for now Jaune had to count on his number one wing man to get him out of this situation ASAP.

 **-Father/son mental link: Activate!-**

 _["Help. Me. Please…Dad!"]_ Jaune tried to convey with a glance which was thankfully received by his father whom nodded back.

 _["Don't worry son, I got this."]_

As the only two men in the household, this was an art that was mastered quickly in Jaune's youth.

"Now, now, honey. The girl is fine how she is, besides she's still young." Arthur said attempting to diffuse the situation.

Now, Weiss was more than just a little affronted by the woman's remark, her body was something she was sensitive about especially after being partnered with a girl two years her junior that had a bigger bust than she had…meeting Fiona and Arisha recently didn't help matters either…nor was looking at the woman standing before her.

 _ **["I drink milk!"]**_

Weiss' eye twitched as Ruby's voice decided to ring out through her head.

But once again the woman frankly terrified Weiss for a reason she had yet to understand especially when she was positive Arthur had the largest body count between the two…if the woman even had one to begin with. So she just forced a smile on her face and gave a stiff nod. Arthur quickly gave the young woman a once over before glancing back at Jaune and raising an eyebrow.

 _["You hit it?"]_

 _["What? Dad…no…just no."]_

 _["I have no son."]_ Arthur simply glanced away from Jaune with a sigh as if frustrated by his existence.

 _["Dad!"]_

Taking a moment to ignore her inner irritation at Jaune's mother, Weiss frowned when she noticed the woman had no weapon on her.

"Excuse me, Mrs. Arc-"

"Please, call me Morgana." Morgana said as she waved off the formalities.

"I was just wondering where your weapon was? Jaune told me that Arcs always needed their weapon on them even in events like this." Weiss asked getting an approving look from both Arthur and Morgana. Morgana simply gestured to her purse in response to the question.

"I'm a dust Sorceress or I was back in my youth." Morgana answered as she pulled out a dust crystal that had been carved into a sphere making Weiss' eyes widened in surprise.

"Ha! The havoc you could wreak with one of those was magnificent!" Arthur said with a laugh making his wife wave off his praise.

"Yes but I've retired, content on simply taking care of the girls at home or patching up this clumsy oaf's injuries." Morgana said modestly, though Weiss could tell she felt pride for her current role in life. Possibly even more so than her earlier career.

"Modest woman, she says this but she pretty much trained an old pupil of mine single-handedly whenever she got some free time when we would stop by between expeditions. She even helped one of your teachers now that I think about it…what was her name? Badwitch? Evilwitch? Coldbitc–"

"Goodwitch?" Weiss asked incredulously.

"She seemed far from it but sure, if you say that's her name." Arthur said with a dismissive wave. Making Weiss turn to the woman in awe, previous resentment all but forgotten.

"Perhaps if it's not too much trouble, you could look over my work one day." Weiss asked making Morgana look at her in slight surprise while Jaune wondered if his "fiancé" had forgotten about the plan.

"I thought you were a swordswoman?" Morgana questioned with a frown making Weiss pull out Myrtenaster so that Morgana could get a better look at the dust cartridges.

"Only when I need to be." Weiss answered as Morgana looked over the weapon with slightly wider eyes.

"This is…actually quite impressive. Looks to be on par with one of my creations, specifically the blade I made for Arthur. A couple of minor flaws, but nothing that can't be fixed. Jaune you've seen this in action?" Morgana questioned curiously making.

"Yes and it looks pretty scary to be on the other side of it and her Glyphs." Jaune said making Morgana turn back to the heiress.

"Ah yes, so you did manage to inherit that Semblance then." Morgana muttered before wrapping an arm around Weiss in a one-armed embrace. "I have a daughter."

"You have seven." Arthur pointed out as he and Jaune sweat-dropped.

"Now it's eight." Morgana stated simply before turn to look down at Weiss. "You must visit over the summer, dear, when I'm done with you–you will truly be a force to be reckoned with."

"Really? That sounds splendid." Weiss said before averting her eyes from the half-lidded stare Jaune was giving her. In the heat of the moment, she had completely forgotten about the plan.

"So why are we out here?" Jaune asked in confusion making Morgana turn to him.

"Pairs enter the main ballroom when they are announced, they are introduced by their name and titles then they enjoy the feast with the other attendees." Morgana informed him before sighing along with Jaune and Arthur, confusing Weiss.

"Can Weiss and I go first? You know what happens every time you and Dad take the lead." Jaune said dryly making Morgana nod.

"Of course, I made sure that the Schnees put us last for that very reason."

"What reason?" Weiss asked in confusion.

"You'll see soon enough." Jaune said as he saw a couple leave leaving him and Weiss alone with his parents. "Guess we're next, let's go."

 **-Ballroom-**

"Next we have the guests of honor, Weiss Schnee-heiress to the Schnee Dust Company and Jaune Arc." A well-dressed man began as Jaune and Weiss entered the large room. "The Hero of Vale, The White Knight, Heir to the noble house of Arc, Son of Arthur." The man introduced making Jaune hum in thought.

"Huh wonder when I earned the White Knight title." Jaune mused as he walked with Weiss on his arm who looked up at him in surprise.

"Four official titles and only two that you earned at birth? That's pretty impressive." Weiss said making Jaune chuckle.

"You would think so but…" Jaune trailed off as he glanced back at his parents.

"And finally introducing Morgana Arc. Former High Dust Sorceress of Vale, Arc family Matriarch, Master Weapon smith, Duchess of Vale, and mother of the year for the past decade."

"Ah now I see what you mean." Weiss said making Jaune snort.

"What, Mom? No it's–"

"And last but not least, Arthur Arc. Arc patriarch, Hero of Vale, Hero of Remnant, the Black Knight, Son of Alexandrite the Great, Butcher of Mantle, King Slayer, Prince Slayer, Queen Slayer, God Hunter-"

"We'll be here for a while." Jaune sighed as Weiss gaped at the armored man.

 **-30 Minutes later-**

"The Juggernaut, One bad mother–"

"Okay that's enough." A man with white hair interrupted with a chuckle making the man raise his eyebrow.

"But sir, I'm just introducing Arthur?"

"Yes but it'll be tomorrow by the time you finish." Arthur said with a laugh. "Let's just forget formalities and enjoy the party."

"Two hundred and fifty six titles…" Weiss muttered with an eye twitch.

"That you heard." Jaune corrected. "I wanted him to at least finish that title, it's my favorite but it always gets interrupted. It's one thing to be stuck in someone's shadow but in my family, I'm just eclipsed." Jaune muttered making Weiss place a hand on his shoulder.

"Well you're young, having even two titles at our age is rare give it time, keep getting in the situations you do and you'll pass him in no time." Weiss said, not a stranger of being stuck in someone's shadow. However, before Jaune could say something a young woman a bit older than them approached with a smile. She was wearing an elegant black gown and had shoulder length white hair the back of which was tied up in a braided bun. Her eyes lit up behind her glasses as she looked at Weiss.

"Weiss? Oh my, look how big you've gotten." The newcomer said with a smile making Weiss' eyes widen before she hugged the woman tightly. "Tell me, are you eating properly?"

"Winter! I had no idea you were back in the country!" Weiss actually gushed, making Jaune wonder who she was and what she had done with the Ice Queen.

"Oh like I would miss this, as soon as father told me a week ago, Ironwood got me on the first air-ship back here." Winter said with a smile before turning to Jaune and extending her hand. "Pleased to meet you, Winter Schnee." Jaune accepted the hand.

"Jaune Arc. Pleased to meet you." Jaune said with a smile

"I do hope you to take great care of my sister." Winter said with a smile, though the pain that suddenly shot through his hand from how hard she gripped it clearly conveyed the unsaid _or else._

"O-Of course!" Jaune said as he did his best not to whimper at the smile on the woman's face which was a just a bit too wide for comfort.

"So tell me…is Whitley here?" Weiss questioned apprehensively gaining Winter's attention.

" _Unfortunately_ , no, he had matters of his own to attend to tonight." Jaune couldn't tell but it sounded as though that was apparently good news as both of the sisters seemed to be happy about it.

"Uh…Whitley?" Jaune asked curiously. Sighing Winter gestured towards a family portrait that was hanging on a nearby wall.

"Our _precious_ little brother." Winter said as Jaune frowned before looking at the portrait. It was that that moment, Jaune had an existential crisis. Why? Because Jaune was, by nature, a good person whom _hated_ bullies…that said, even he couldn't resist the inexplicable urge to kick the kid's ass.

" _Whoa! Is this how Cardin feels around everyone? Perhaps I should be a bit more understanding now."_ Jaune thought while Weiss looked at him in concern.

"Are you okay, Jaune?"

"I do believe your betrothed has had the sudden urge to beat up our little brother." Winter said calmly making Weiss look at Jaune scandalized. "It's okay, everyone gets it when they see him."

"Winter!" Weiss exclaimed looking surprised.

"What? I am not condoning such behavior, I'm just stating a recurring phenomenon." Winter said so seriously that Jaune wasn't sure if she was joking or not.

Wait, did Schnees even joke?

"Kids like him get beat up, it's just a rule of life. Succumbing to the urge doesn't make you a bad person either, some instincts are just hard to ignore." Winter said simply, and despite her best efforts, Weiss couldn't stop the giggle that escaped from her mouth. "The boy is lucky he's rich."

"I miss you Winter, do hope I can see you more, I barely even got to see you last year." Weiss said making Winter nod with a sad smile.

"Indeed, perhaps I'll find a way to see you during the Vytal festival. I assume you will be representing the family, well." Winter said making her younger sister nod with a smile. "Now come, we can eat with our parents, dance a bit, and mingle. This night is for you to have fun." Winter said with a small smile as she gestured for them to follow her.

 **-Later-**

Weiss and Jaune could now be found at a table with their parents and Winter. Jaune, for one, was extremely surprised. He–like many of their friends–had assumed Weiss grew up with a cold hearted family that focused more on their business than they did their children but as it turns out, that was only partly true.

Winter was cool.

Weiss' mom was…there…but kind, he guessed.

Her Dad was a dick though, he was so fake it made him sick. In fact, if it wasn't for his mother, he was positive his Dad would have sucker punched him a few times by now. Not that he said anything rude per se….people like Jacques Schnee just got punched by men like his father.

That's just how the world worked–oh. Now he got where Winter was coming from.

"So tell me, the Vytal tournament is coming up. Either of you planning on entering?" Jacques questioned curiously.

"Of course, it's the perfect opportunity to improve my skills and test them against others." Weiss said with a nod.

"Yeah, I'm signing up, my team has actually begun training for it." Jaune answered making Weiss' mother, Eva, look at them in concern.

"Wait, doesn't that mean there is a chance you two might fight each other?"

"It's possible." Jaune answered before grimacing. "Just really hope I don't. Honestly? Your daughter scares me. I've been really lucky to avoid being picked as her opponent in battle class."

"You say that, but aren't you still undefeated?" Weiss asked dryly, surprising his parents greatly, making Jaune snort.

"That's only because when I spar with my team it's out of the public eye. Believe me, Pyrrha has made me tap out more than a few times." Jaune said before shaking his head. "I couldn't walk straight for two days after the whole…Arisha…incident. I thought Pyrrha was going to kill me that time. If Fiona hadn't said she was thinking of recruiting us into the Crimson Blades after we graduate, she might have." Jaune said as Winter seemed to cough a bit on her drink.

"Arisha, incident?" Jacques asked curiously and his wife looked equally as confused when Morgana gave her now sheepish husband an annoyed glance.

" _His_ daughter thought it was a good idea to personally check if Jaune was ready to be a hunter." Morgana said sounding slightly annoyed. "Honestly Arthur, I told you we had to be stricter on her, especially after her fight with Delia, but _no_ you said the legacy and her training were more important."

"Now Morgana it wasn't that bad–"

"She killed thirty five people, destroyed two buildings and that was before she reached Beacon...destroyed another building, part of a forest, and then nearly killed our son and his friend. A friend whom happens to be the daughter of a dear late friend of mine." Morgana interrupted as Weiss' parents gaped at them while Winter just blinked owlishly at her.

"In her defense, those people were terrorists." Arthur argued back weakly getting a glare from his wife. "Shutting up now."

"Be grateful to have such well-mannered children." Morgana told Weiss' parents with a sigh. "I love all my children equally but Jaune seems the only one my lessons of how to act in society seemed to sink in too."

"Thank you, though both of our girls have their own rebellious streaks." Eva said with a sigh making Jacques frown a bit as he thought about it. "You see both of them ended up inheriting my Semblance and of course both of them immediately wanted to be huntresses."

"A fine calling." Arthur said giving the sisters an approving nod.

"Yes, but the company needs an heir." Jacques continued. "As prestigious as being a huntress is, someone needs to run this company in the future. "I'd have my son do it, but as you are well aware the image is most important. He didn't inherit my wife's Semblance and as a result he lacks a certain image of power that the public adores."

It was then that Jacques frowned.

"I will admit this to you all in confidence, the Schnee Semblance is powerful but as a result it can cause a lot of damage." Jacques muttered. "In my mind, it's like watching my daughters go through life with a live bomb on their backs." Jacques said making Eva avert her eyes while his daughters looked at him in surprise. "As competent as my daughters are, of course, mistakes do happen which is another reason I'd like them to have a life that doesn't require so much…fighting."

"I understand completely." Morgana said with a nod. "Aura can be an extremely volatile thing, Semblances even more so. It's the main reason we try to teach our children how to survive without them. None of our children even have their aura unlocked." Morgana said making both Weiss and Jaune choke on their drinks. Hearing his parents actively choose not to teach him about aura was completely new to Jaune. He had figured they had just didn't know, but apparently it was as common as breathing in their world-impossible to not know about. "Are you two okay?"

"Yes it's just that…well…" Weiss trailed off not knowing what to say

"I unlocked my aura and my semblance, actually." Jaune said awkwardly before suddenly turning to his father whom had accidentally shattered his glass in his hand. The Arc patriarch had looked as though something had blown up in his face. Glancing to his surprised wife, the two seemed to share a silent conversation before he turned back to Jaune with a smile on his face.

"I-is that so?" Arthur said, surprising Jaune whom had never heard his father stutter before. "Well then, congratulations Jaune. This summer we will _**definitely**_ begin _**training**_ again." Arthur said making Jaune pale. There was another reason besides Jaune temporarily changing career paths that led to Jaune no longer training with his father. A good reason. Jaune loved his father, but when it came to training?

The man was a damn devil.

The sheer amount of times Jaune had considered calling child protection was simply staggering.

He wondered what about aura suddenly drew his parents' apprehension but that would have to wait until later as they noticed a couple of couples get up to prepare to dance.

"Oh now this just won't do, the couple of honor should be the first ones on the dance floor." Eva said with a frown.

"Agreed, hop to it you two!" Arthur said with a laugh as he gestured towards the dance floor. Making the two teens pale as they suddenly found themselves being moved to the dance floor with all of the guests looking at them with smiles.

Oh shit.

Gulping, Jaune awkwardly turned to Weiss as they held each other while the music began to play.

"Please tell me you can dance." Jaune asked making Weiss blink in surprise.

"Took the question right out of my mouth, Arc." Weiss said before nodding. "Yes, I have had to learn in order to entertain some of the guests before-"

"No, I'm not asking if you have any moves. I'm asking if you know how to _dance."_ Jaune said again. "Dancing requires emotion in every movement, you need to _feel_ the music. My mother can spot when people don't have their heart in the dance." Jaune said as they swayed, and as if to prove his point Weiss paled slightly when she saw Morgana frowning in confusion.

"You seem knowledgeable on this…why?"

"My parents made it a rule that my siblings and I had to each master an art. I chose dance because my sisters always made me dance with them, and I thought it would help me with my footwork when fighting. Not to mention it would be weird being able to make music but not dance to it." Jaune explained making Weiss nod.

"So how do we put emotion in this?" Weiss asked with a frown.

"Gimme a sec." Jaune said as he released her suddenly and ran to the musicians. Weiss watched in confusion as Jaune had a quick conversation with them before they smile with a nod making him grin and give his thanks before returning to the confused Weiss.

"What was that?"

"I asked them to play our song." Jaune said making Weiss quirk an eyebrow.

"Since when did we have a song?"

"Since forty seconds ago…let's go and follow my lead, and could you _please_ put a smile on your face." Jaune said with a chuckle and despite herself Weiss couldn't help but chuckle along with him before plastering a smile on her face.

 **BGM: Chandelier-Sia**

"Think you can keep up, Snow Angel?" Jaune questioned making Weiss smirk.

"If you don't step on my feet we should have no problem, Bunny Boy." Weiss responded making Jaune roll his eyes good naturedly as they began to pick up the pace.

 **+1 Title Bunny Boy**

"God damn it. You really need to drop those names." Jaune chuckled as they danced around the room. Weiss smiled as he spun her around before bringing her close to him.

"You first." Weiss said as she looked up him making him grin.

"Never." Jaune promised and before long the two actually found themselves forgetting that they were dancing for a crowd and were content on just enjoying the dance while continuing their silent conversation. To everyone it appeared exactly how they wanted it to, two star-crossed lovers simply enjoying each other's company.

"Oh my, I don't believe she's looked that happy in years." Eva gasped as Winter looked at the joy on her sister's face in surprise.

"It seems you've raised a fine man." Jacques complimented and if Arthur didn't know any better he'd say the man sounded…relieved?

"Level with me, why did you really choose us?" Arthur asked quietly so that only Jacques could hear him.

"I'm no fool, there is a fine line between love and hate. You can guess which side my daughters chose when it comes to me. Nothing I can do, no matter how firm I am, can stop them from growing up and doing what they want even if I fight it tooth and nail." Jacques muttered as he glared down at his drink. "So I decided, long ago when you saved my life, that I'd make sure she found her a family that could protect her from everything…including me." Jacques said before downing his drink quickly.

"Hmph, you're not half bad, Schnee."

"Keep it to yourself, I have a reputation to maintain." Jacques scoffed making Arthur smirk. Back on the dance floor, Weiss found herself having fun…in fact this entire day had been nowhere near as dreadful as she expected.

"I'm glad it's you." Weiss suddenly said confusing Jaune.

"Hmm?" Jaune looked at her confusion making her eyes widen as she realized she said it out loud.

"It's just…this is more…bearable…than I imagined but then again before this we didn't really know each other did we?" Weiss asked as a small blush appeared on her cheeks. "It is just good to know that if this doesn't work and we end up stuck together that it is at least someone…nice. You hear all these horror stories about people getting arranged marriages with monsters–"

"–Ah, I see what you mean. Fiona had the same fear and ran away." Jaune said with a sigh, surprising Weiss. "Personally, I was afraid I would get stuck with some stuck up gold digger–at least the gold digger part was wrong." Jaune added with a smirk.

"Oh shut up." Weiss said with a short laugh. "You would accept such a bad marriage?"

"If I had to, yes." Jaune said honestly making her look at him incredulously. "If only to end this drama once and for all, I won't let my sisters be forced into this situation. I'm their only brother, in my mind that means I have to be the _big_ brother for _all_ of them. There's a saying I keep hearing 'there is no princess waiting for you' and I've accepted that. I'm not a kid anymore I see what the reality of being a hero is and I'm content with just helping as many as I can even if I end up without a happily ever after."

"I kind of understand, normally this would be my sister's responsibly as the eldest but I already made her leave once." Weiss said sadly. "I won't let her give up her chance at love, so after this I'll probably engaged to someone else but that's fine…I really just want to be _older_ when it happens, 'there is no knight in shining armor' at least that's what I've been told."

"But–" Jaune and Weiss stopped as they began to speak at the sometime making the chuckle.

"You first." Jaune said making Weiss nod as she averted her eyes.

"I was going to say you are the closest to that I've ever seen." Weiss admitted, her face burning making Jaune blink owlishly before smiling.

"Took the words right out of my mouth." Jaune said making Weiss' eyes widen as she turned to face him. Only to gasp when he suddenly dipped her while the music came to end. Her body trembled as she felt his arms around her as she looked up into his eyes. One thing she could admit to herself was that the sometimes dorky knight was at least easy on the eyes, she had not been lying she said he was cute back when she singled him out during the assembly on her first day at Beacon.

 **BGM: END**

"Let's do it." Weiss suddenly whispered making Jaune's eyes widen as he gaped her, face flushing red but to his credit he didn't drop her on the floor…

…That would have been bad.

"Excuse me!?" Jaune whispered incredulously as he stood her up, making her face burn redder than Ruby's cloak.

"Not that you dolt! Get your head out of the gutter." Weiss said embarrassed. "I mean…why not just go through with it?" Weiss asked confusing Jaune. "From the sound of it we're stuck being wed off because we're too damned noble for our own goods…so let's just do it. There is enough power between our families to end this arranged marriage business for both of our families forever…and if it's you…it might not be so bad. I think I could get used to having you around."

Jaune couldn't believe it.

So caught up in the suddenness of the engagement and trying to get out of it, he never sat down and thought about it with a calm head. It was a blessing in disguise, Weiss was right, he was a hero–what was one more sacrifice? It was with that thought Jaune frowned.

"Weiss, I'm striving to be a hero. That's my dream, sacrifices are nothing to me but you…think about it, what if you find someone you love one day? Could you really give it up without a fight? I mean you have a thing for that Neptune guy, right?" Jaune asked quietly as he recalled the blue-haired man he had sometimes seen with Sun that were currently living in Beacon. Hearing what he said Weiss bit her lip as she glanced down.

"I…I find him attractive, yes, but it isn't anything more than that at the moment. We've only just met." Weiss said as she looked back up to him. "You aren't hard on the eyes yourself either. Look, obviously I don't love you Jaune." Weiss said seriously before wrapping her arms around his neck before getting on her tip-toes and pressing her mouth to his, surprising him greatly. "But so help me, I think I can _learn_ to." Weiss whispered into his ear.

Jaune was positive his jaw couldn't drop further even as he heard a shout of 'I have a son!' off to the side as the guests clapped for them.

" _Love_ at first sight doesn't exist. It starts with simple attraction and requires work from both sides, so I'm willing to try if you are."

"It won't be easy. Hunstmen don't tend to have healthy families." Jaune said as he remembered all of the times he caught his mother crying when she thought they were sleep, worrying day after day if her husband would ever return home. "We will hurt each other." Jaune said firmly, and to his shock he felt his resolve weakening.

"But better us than them, right?" Weiss asked referring to their loved ones making him pause.

"You're right, damn it you're right…" Jaune trailed off before groaning. "Fuck, Pyrrha is going to _ **kill**_ me." Jaune muttered making Weiss' eyes widen.

"You mean you–"

"We'll talk more about it later, but for now, tonight? We'll hold off on cancelling any arrangements." Jaune said with a tired sigh. " _I'm way too young for this shit."_ Jaune looked down when he felt her place a hand on his shoulder and give him that smile that made his heart skip far more than it should have.

"Think of this as a business deal and leave the negotiating to me, I'll…speak with Pyrrha. I refuse to let my family matters cause any more stress for my friends, and as I said earlier I do consider you a friend." Weiss said confusing Jaune greatly. "One day at a time, we'll figure something out."

"I hope you're right." Jaune said making Weiss nod with a small smile, however, before she could respond a wounded Klein stumbled in to the room clutching his now bleeding side.

"The White Fang…the White Fang are attacking!" Klein shouted immediately putting the party goers on alert.

"Oh no…" Jaune muttered as Weiss looked at her butler with wide-eyes.

"Damn it, I knew those mutts would try to ruin this." Jacque cursed as Arthur smirked.

"Well then, this party is getting even better!" Arthur said with a grin as he pulled his blade off of his back. "Fear not! Jaune, Winter, and I will go out to deal with them. Morgana and Weiss will go hold the perimeter and secure the building. Jacque alert Atlas and have your wife handle the poor man's wounds. Everyone understand their roles?" Arthur questioned making them nod with quickly. "Good let's move out."

"Arthur…" Morgana called out with narrowed eyes making the man tense as he glanced back sheepishly. "Make it quick."

"Yes dear…" Arthur trailed off with a sigh as he activated his blade, causing golden runes to cover the blade before the entirety of the blade seemed to be forged out of a golden light. "Now it is going to be too easy, can't ever have any fun." Arthur muttered.

"I heard that!" Morgana called out again making him pout before she turned to Weiss. "Let's go dear, show me how to get to your roof." Morgana said making Weiss nod before glancing back at Jaune with a frown.

"Be careful." Weiss said making him nod before she led Morgana out of the room.

"Haha! Ready to fight alongside your old man?" Arthur asked with a grin making Jaune nod as he pulled out his blade and mecha-shifted his shield. "Let's see how strong you've gotten-"

"To think someone would dare target my sister on this day?" Winter said quietly as a dark expression covered her face. "These mutts really want to be put down." Winter said as they ran out of the mansion, upon exiting the building she cursed as she saw the numbers.

"Well, well, look at all of the targets." Arthur said with a grin as Winter narrowed her eyes.

"There are over a hundred of them." Winter muttered before chuckling as she stabbed her blade into the ground while her glyph appeared beneath her feet. It pulsed once before she disappeared in a blur of speed and reappeared before an unsuspecting lizard Faunus and beheaded him, the sound of his aura and bones crack, ran through Jaune's ears as she hopped back to avoid the blood splatter.

"D-did you have to kill him?" Jaune asked sounding horrified making her frown slightly.

"A…dear friend of mine once told me, 'violence solves everything'." Winter muttered. "I don't agree, but I'll be damned if it doesn't get the job done."

"Dad?" Jaune asked as his father gave him a grim nod.

"We fight to kill, Jaune, anyone we let slip past us means who knows how many innocent deaths. We must hold the line. These people chose terrorism, they chose their fate. Do not pity them." Arthur said before sighing when he saw his son's hands tremble as he held Crocea Mors.

Jaune still wasn't ready, it seemed.

"Up on the hill." Arthur said. "I can see a man standing back, he fits the description of the one whom escaped Arisha. Deal with him until I get there." Arthur said making Jaune frown.

It wasn't an order.

It was a dismissal.

"Death isn't the only option." Jaune muttered as he brushed passed his father.

"And that's why you are still a child and have not earned our mark." Arthur said making Jaune grit his teeth as he thought of the family emblem that was tattooed on Fiona and Arisha. It was the reward the head of the family gave to anyone who had their first kill. As Arthur's gauntlet shone brightly with dust runes covering it he effortlessly lifted Jaune up by his collar and _slung_ him up to the mountain.

Good, now he had one less body to worry about covering.

 **-With Weiss-**

"We're here." Weiss said once they reached the roof. The heiress paled when she got a bird's eye view of the invasion. The White Fang's numbers were simply horrifying not to mention the three airships approaching in the distance. If the Atlesian forces did not arrive soon, she shuddered to think about what would happen to them.

"Good." Morgana said as she poured some of the purple colored dust into her palm. "Stand back, dear. Don't want you caught in the splash zone." Morgana said before whispering something into the dust causing it to glow as bright purple runes circled her body while her violet eyes shone with power. Tossing the dust into the air, it shot up towards the sky in a purple blast of energy.

 _ ***BANG!***_

Weiss looked on in amazement as the blast split into four and shot apart in the sky before landing around the mansion exactly North, East, West, and South of their location causing pillars of pure purple light to erupt from the points of impact.

"There, that should ward off any reinforcements for a while as their numbers get reduced." Morgana mused, her body encased in her purple aura as she turned to face Weiss. Morgana placed another dust crystal into her hand before clenching it tightly, causing her fist to spark with purple energy. Throwing her hand out to the distance, a bolt of purple lightning shot out with a resounding bang and struck down three of the Faunus without mercy, burning their very flesh as they died instantly. "Tch, weaklings."

For them to die so quickly, for their auras to be so weak–Morgana narrowed her eyes–were they being attacked by new recruits?

"You killed them." Weiss said with wide-eyes, never seeing someone actually die in person before. Morgana simply shrugged.

"Get used to it. To love an Arc, you must love death itself. Love battle, for if you don't you will never be able to protect the one you love." Morgana said as a sad expression covered her face, surprising Weiss whom was sure this was the most emotion she saw on the imperious woman the entire night. "Jaune resembles his father more and more every single day. Your love will be grand, but so will your sorrow." Morgana said firmly before gesturing to the White Fang. "These are not Faunus, they are monsters and you…you are a huntress are you not? Do not hesitate to end those who threaten your family. Your enemies will not show mercy so why should you?"

"B-but…you're talking about murder! I crafted Myrtenaster to slay Grim not people!" Weiss said sounding incredibly shaken at the prospect of killing anyone, Faunus or not.

"And once again these are not people. They attacked our family, the appropriate name for them now is prey." Morgana said coolly. "You heard the story of Joan, correct?" Morgana questioned making Weiss tense. "Love is filled with sacrifice, whether it be your life or your 'I'll nevers'. To be an Arc, is to be a judge on the battlefield. You decide who lives or dies."

"But who made the Arcs the Judges!?" Weiss asked incredulously.

"The world." Morgana said bluntly, stunning Weiss as she placed a hand on Weiss' head and gave her a warm smile. "My husband and I are not getting younger, dear. Soon you and Jaune will take the reins from us and bring forth the greatest age of our family to date. Why do you think so many have come today to oppose the Empire you two are forging?" Morgana asked rhetorically. "Together, our families have the force to change the entire direction of the world, that's how much influence they have."

"O-Our Empire?"

"Yes, Empire, you two could bring Vale or any of the Kingdoms to its knees when you become of a bit older should you choose to and they know this. They want to kill you two while you're young, before you can understand just how significant your lives really are." Morgana said as her hand glowed slightly in a golden light making Weiss gasp as her body was filled with a feeling of warmth.

"What was that?"

"An old tool I no longer have no use for." Morgana said with a small smile. "Find my son and walk down this wretched path of heroism with him. He's all grown up now, his protection is no longer his mother's duty. Watch his back in my stead. You have my approval." Morgana said softly, a sad but relieved smile on her face. Slightly humbled by the trust the imperious woman placed on her, Weiss nodded her head before leaping off of the roof and racing towards Jaune's location as she jumped from Glyph to Glyph. As she raced towards them, her chest began to glow as a white light originating from her heart slowly began to engulf her body.

 **-With Jaune-**

It was official, Jaune was never leaving Beacon unarmored again.

Perhaps not for the first time in his life, Jaune found himself scared of an opponent. But this time it was not because of the difference in their power levels but rather his opponent's mental state. Adam's men were falling at an alarming rate as they were beaten-no-s _laughtered_ by his parents and possible future sister-in-law. Jaune gritted his teeth as he tried to block a slash from Adam only to find the hilt of the blade shooting forward into his face like a bullet, too fast for him to use his semblance to block it.

"Damn it, will you call off the attack? How many people are you going to sacrifice just for some half-assed attempt to send a message!?" Jaune snapped angrily as he stumbled back.

"As many as needed, the world will learn of the White Fang's dedication, they will see that the Faunus are not meant to pushed around by you humans!" Adam said as he attacked Jaune with a prejudice. His superior skill was overpowering the young knight in a completely one-sided battle.

"The ends do not justify the means! All you are doing right now is creating orphans!" Jaune shouted as he attempted to deliver an Amaranth kick only for Adam to side-step the blow and ram his blade through Jaune's chest.

"Don't act so damn morally superior. Just how many orphans do you think your family has created? How many of my men I saw slaughtered before my eyes by _your_ sister whom came to us unprovoked!?" Adam said coolly before kicking the mortally wounded Jaune off of his blade.

"W-why are you playing the victim? I know her, she must have given you multiple chances to live!" Jaune said weakly, blood pooling from his lips. "She didn't kill your allies! Your pride did you sad excuse of a leader!"

"Silence! It wasn't me it was you humans! It's always you humans! All you do is kill and oppress, I will see that the voice of my people are heard no matter how many bodies, human or Faunus, it takes!" It was then Jaune realized with a chill that there was no reasoning with Adam. Everything he said fell on deaf ears. Jaune's heart skipped a beat as a tear fell down his cheek…

…he understood.

He finally understood what his father had been trying to warn him about.

Life wasn't a fairy tale where people could be reasoned with peacefully, he heard his father say it and hell he even repeated but he never _understood_ until now. Monsters came in every shape and size and had a myriad of origins. It was with a cold realization that Jaune knew…

…he was going to have to _kill_ this man…

…or die trying…

…and if those Faunus shared his mentality, continuously charging forward to hurt a few humans despite their comrades being slaughtered before them, then it meant that there was a chance they would have to die as well.

His father and Winter saw this from the get go and wasted no time in dealing with the threats while he tried in vain to reason with them.

Jaune's heart broke when he realized that Arisha had simply spoken the truth.

 _ **["Let me tell you a secret, Jaune. There are no such things as heroes, just killers whom happen to be at the right place at the right time."]**_

This was the path he had chosen, the path of _a Hero._

"What?" Adam asked with a frown as the wounds on Jaune healed far quicker than a hunter's should even with his high aura.

 _ ***FLASH!***_

In flash of light, Jaune stood before Adam clad in a white suit of armor thanks to the first stage of his paladin transformation.

"So you did have a trick up your sleeve, no matter." Adam said as the red marking on his mask began to glow bright while a dark aura surrounded him as his skin paled even further. His power made Jaune tense inside his armor, not expecting the sudden power jump.

Was this really the same Faunus Arisha had defeated with ease?

"Jaune!" Weiss shouted, gaining their attention as she descended upon them, her body being covered by a blindingly white armor as well. _**"This power...is this what she gave me?"**_ Weiss muttered before shaking her head. _**"I'm here to help, together we should be more than enough to stop him."**_

" _ **Weiss…I'm not fighting to just stop him…"**_ Jaune said carefully though his tone indicated clearly what he meant when he said he wasn't going to simply stop Adam.

" _ **I…I know…"**_ Weiss said as she released a shuddering breath. _**"You're not doing this alone, though. He attacked my family in a blind attempt to hurt humanity. No more will my family be targets of these beasts."**_

"Oh? So you kids want to play for keeps, I hope you realize this will be your last fight." Adam snarled as he charged them Jaune exploded in a flash of light a second time, sending the Faunus sliding back from them. "What?"

" _ **Master, it's finally time to truly feed me."**_ An older looking Crocea said as she licked her lips while her crimson eyes seemed to burn just a bit brighter. _**"Grimm are a good snack…but it's time for something with a little more…sustenance."**_

" _So this is the power they we're using."_ Weiss thought as she placed a hand on her chest while she recalled the fight between Ruby, Jaune, and Arisha. _"It's powerful but…I can feel the energy draining quickly."_ Weiss thought as she glanced up at Jaune. _**"Jaune…"**_

" _ **I know, we need to fight!"**_ Jaune said before dashing forward towards Adam whom swiftly brought his blade down upon Jaune.

 _ ***KRANG!***_

"Nice trick, but I'm still much more powerful than you." Adam said as he side-stepped Jaune's counterattack and knocked the knight back with a kick to the chest.

 _ **"Yeah, maybe you are…but you aren't stronger than US!"**_ Jaune declared and it was at that moment Adam realized he was trapped within a dome of glyphs.

" _ **Now!"**_ Weiss shouted from behind Adam as a two glyphs as appeared beneath her and Jaune's feet. Immediately, the two found themselves blasting at Adam at blinding speeds making the Faunus curse. Adam side-stepped a blow from Jaune and parried a slash from Weiss before both paladins disappeared with pure speed. Slashing his blade rapidly around himself, Adam parried each of their high-speed attacks before knocking them both back as the glyphs shattered around them.

 _ ***Flash***_

 _ ***Rumble***_

Jaune and Weiss both jumped away from Adam as a massive glyph appeared beneath his feet before a colossal hand made of pure ice began to arise from it. With one swing of his blade, Adam destroyed the frozen construct before raising it to parry Jaune's blade. Weiss leapt at the Faunus only for him to pull out his sheath with his free hand and shoot her out of the air with it.

" _ **Weiss!"**_ Jaune called out in alarm before he was forced to rapidly moved is shield in order to deflect each one of Adam's attacks.

Jaune was fast with his shield.

Adam was faster.

Jaune grunted in pain when Adam's blade slid past his shield and in between the small opening in his left shoulder pauldron, effectively stabbing the young hunter in his shoulder. Jaune wasn't sure if it was the blade or Adam himself, but the way the Faunus by passed his aura so easily terrified him.

However, not because of what it could do to him.

But because of what it could do to the unknowing Weiss.

Gritting his teeth through the pain, Jaune swung at Adam forcing the Faunus to put some distance between them as Jaune turned towards Weiss whom was dashing towards Adam. Jaune felt the blood drain from his face when he saw Adam smirk darkly. Thinking quickly Jaune swung Crocea, releasing a powerful arch of light which shot between Weiss and Adam, forcing the heiress to retreat so that she wouldn't be hit.

" _ **Jaune!? What the–"**_

" _ **Stay back!"**_ Jaune ordered, surprising Weiss with how his voice shook slightly. _**"Fight from a distance, if you get too close you're dead. He can cut through aura."**_

"You think telling her is going to change a thing? I don't think you're aware of just how outclassed you are."

" _ **I have an idea."**_ Jaune said as he raised his shield. There was no point in trying to match Adam with his sword, the difference between them was like night and day. He couldn't out fight Adam, but maybe, just maybe he could out think him. Or at least last long enough until the Faunus slipped up. It didn't take long before Adam was upon him once more, attacking him relentlessly. However, with all of his attention being put on fighting defensively he managed to last against Adam's barrage despite the occasional attack that slipped past his shield.

" _ **Damn it."**_ Weiss muttered as she tried to take aim at Adam. Between Adams rapid movements and Jaune's erratic attempts to deflect as many blows as he could, send spark flying everywhere, Weiss couldn't trust herself to not hit Jaune by mistake. It was then that Weiss waved her weapon before creating a large black glyph beneath the men that cemented their feet to the ground.

"Fool! You just trapped him with me!" Adam said before turning back to finish Jaune off, only to pause for a moment when Jaune's blade erupted in a blinding light.

" _ **No, she trapped you with me."**_

 **-With Arthur and Winter-**

Winter gritted her teeth as she used her time-dilation glyph to enhance her speed and allow her to tear through anyone foolish enough to face her. One by one, Winter ripped through her opposition with so much ease it almost disgusted her. One by one they fell until she had a dozen corpses lying around her. Off to the side, Arthur swung his blade-releasing a golden Arc of light that tore through just as many Fauns as she had.

"Show-off." Winter muttered making him smirk, but before he could respond a golden explosion made them both glance to the side where they saw Adam sliding into the battlefield as he struggled to block a golden wave of energy. With a roar, Adam whipped his blade to the side and deflecting the energy to the side and into who knew how many of his followers. Just then, Weiss shot down from a Glyph and drop kicked him on the face making him stumble back as his mask shattered from the impact like glass.

" _ **Fall!"**_ Weiss shouted as she shot forward, her blade in a stabbing position as white runes covered it.

It was then that Adam did the unthinkable.

Reaching to the side, he grabbed one of the White Fang members and _threw_ him at Weiss. Caught so off guard by the act of betrayal, Weiss' resolve wavered for a split second as she had to choose between killing the White fang member or diving to the side to avoid him. It was at that moment, she saw the expression on Adam's face, the condescending look he gave her as if to say that he knew she was too weak to go through with it.

 _ ***SHING!***_

The expression was soon wiped off of his face as Myrtenaster tore through the airborne Faunus' chest as a propulsion Glyph appeared beneath her feet sending her blasting towards Adam even with the Faunus skewered on her blade.

"You monster." Adam muttered as he was forced to dive to the side at the last second causing Weiss to shoot right passed him. "Now get her!" Adam ordered causing his men to suddenly turn their attention to Weiss' exposed back. Winter narrowed her eyes as she went to intercept them only to find herself held back by Arthur. She was about to knock him off of her when Jaune suddenly landed behind Weiss and slammed his fist into his chest causing bright blue crosses to surround him and block their gun fire.

The fact that they had still followed Adam's orders despite seeing said Faunus' complete disregard for their safety was the last straw. Grasping Crocea with both hands, Jaune swung the blade in a wide horizontal arc, causing golden energy to tear through the White Fang as Adam flipped over it without a moment to spare.

"Let them handle this from here." Arthur said calmly as Weiss back flipped over Jaune and swung her blade in a wider arc causing a large blade of ice to suddenly appear in the air and swing quickly down at Adam. "I want to see their resolve."

"But–"

"I will intervene if it looks as though they will lose." Arthur reassured her making her frown.  
"If you shelter your sister from this, she will never grow. She must learn like you did." Arthur said making Winter curse but she stayed back.

 _ ***SHING!***_

Adam easily cut through the frozen blade before reaching up and grabbing the airborne heiress. With a low growl, Adam threw her back into Jaune with enough force to shatter the crosses before sheathing his blade.

"Enough." Adam said as he began to build up as much Aura as possible causing his body to glow with a crimson aura, the crimson markings on his clothes shining with a neon light. "I will not be beaten by two human brats who are still in school!" Adam said while Jaune placed a daze Weiss on her feet before standing in front of her just as Adam finished building his energy. "Now die!" Adam shouted as he ripped the blade out of its sheath.

 _ ***SHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG***_

Time seemed to slow as everything turned a shade of black and red. Jaune raised his shield in front of him as an invisible wave of power completely disintegrated everything in its path. Jaune pushed Weiss down to the ground behind him as he stepped forward and slid into a perfect Heavy stander position. He couldn't risk reflecting the invisible force or he'd risk sending an even stronger one back at everyone around them no doubt killing both Winter and Weiss–possibly even his father.

"JAUNE!" Weiss screamed as the attack slammed into him.

 _ ***KRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANNNNNNNNNNNNGGGG!***_

 _ ***BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!***_

 _ ***CRASH!**_

All Jaune saw was blue sparks and then nothing.

 **-?-**

"…aune….Jaune!" Weiss shouted making Jaune's eyes weakly open as he found himself in a dome of ice alone with Weiss, their transformations had ended and their clothes had turned into tattered pieces of fabric that barely hung to their bodies yet managed to somehow keep them decent. Jaune groaned as he forced himself to stand up before grimacing as he realized his shield arm was broken. "Jaune, please, stay down, you're too damaged to keep fighting."

"Is my heart beating?" Jaune questioned curiously confusing her as she nodded awkwardly. "Then I'm not too damaged." Jaune said as he forced himself to his feet, blood dripping from dozens of deep scars that littered his body. "It's time to return the favor." Jaune said as the ice shattered around them, Jaune grimaced as he saw the jagged scar in the ground that led to Adam whom was on the opposite side of the clearing. It seems as though Adam's attack had pushed him far away as he held onto his shield to the last possible moment.

"What are you doing Jaune?" Weiss asked as she looked up at him confusion.

"Finishing this." Jaune said as he flipped his blade in his right hand into a reverse grip as the blade was engulfed with a golden light. "Time to test out the upgrade. Let's see if Crocea really is stronger now." Jaune said before he used his right hand to knock _off_ his shield causing it to stab into the ground when it landed.

 _ ***Beep."**_

Weiss blinked in confusion before narrowing her eyes as she glanced at the scroll behind his shield before paling as it showed Jaune's aura being practically empty.

 **BGM: Brave Shine- Fate/Stay Night OST (Want an English version? Look up one by Amalee/LeeandLie on YouTube)**

"Jaune…your aura…if you keep this up you'll die." Weiss said, concern lacing her voice as he glanced back at her. "There are still dozens of White fang members between you and that monster they'll gun you down before you even get close."

"If I die, would that make you sad?" Jaune asked curiously making her glare at him.

"Of course it would you dolt! And not just me but all of our friends and your family, my family, and–" Weiss stopped talking as he gave her a smile while his body began to glow white.

"Then I won't die, I'll come back to you. I'll return to you all." Jaune said matter-of-factly, his smile never leaving his face as he turned away from her. Weiss grimaced at his scarred back, even though he blocked the attack he was still heavily damaged…she shuddered to think what would have happened if it hit him head on. Glancing out to the distance, she gritted her teeth as Adam only looked slightly winded. He had far more of those attacks in him.

"You know he was barely fazed by our assault, right?"

"Yeah…"

"Then, why–"

"Cause he's cocky." Jaune said as he gave her a tired smile. "When you're cocky, you're sloppy. You drop your guard. If you drop your guard, anyone can take you out and that's how I'm going to do it." Jaune said as he held his sword in a reverse grip.

 _ **["Watch his back in my stead."]**_

Weiss closed her eyes as she grabbed the hilt of her weapon with both of her hands before stabbing the blade into the ground. Jaune's eyes widened, when Weiss created a time dilation glyph under his feet while his blade began to glow in a golden light.

"I don't have much Aura left, listen to me. If you give him a chance to charge up that attack again you're dead. You're also too slow to stop him." Weiss began quietly. "I'm going to give you everything I have left, you have to find your so-called opening soon or else you will die, do you get me?

"Yeah, I get you." Jaune said amazed that Weiss was putting the last of her strength into him.

"Good, now go." Weiss ordered making him nod.

 _ ***BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM***_

Crocea Mors exploded in power as Jaune shot forward like a bullet, his body shone brighter and brighter with each passing second. Weiss' arm trembled as she tightened her grip on her blade so that she could maintain the link between her glyph and Jaune. A feat that grew more difficult with every step he took.

"What!?" Adam shouted in anger as he saw Jaune blasting towards him. "Take him out now!" Adam ordered as he placed his blade back in his sheathe preparing to use the last bit of his power in destroying the young Arc.

"Brighter…" Jaune muttered as his body shone even more as he pictured his family. "…brighter…" Jaune repeated as the intensity of his aura continued to rise as he picture his friends from Beacon and Crocea Mors smiling at him. "…brighter" Jaune shouted as the bullets reflected harmlessly off his body as he ran, sending them flying back to their owners as his mental image focused purely on Pyrrha and Weiss. The pain from the bullets grew as he Aura weakened forcing him to enter a state of Slashing High as he attempted to ignore the pain. Suddenly, the image faded as he imagined a smiling Joan floating in front of him, her body still engulfed in the flames of the burden she bore for her family. _**"AND EVEN BRIGHTER THAN THAT!"**_

 _ **-**_ **With Weiss-**

"Please…give me something… _anything._ " Weiss pleaded as she could see Jaune's aura depleting even more from his scroll. "Don't let them take anything else." Weiss begged as tears slid down her cheeks and fell onto her glyph along with the blood form her wounds.

 _ ***Crash!***_

Weiss felt her heart plummet when her glyph shattered only to be confused when it was replaced by a bright white one that had what appeared to be images of swords spiraling around it the sight of it made her gasp as she quickly looked back up at Jaune.

 **-With Jaune-** _ **  
**_

Jaune failed.

He could tell the moment he finally made it towards Adam when his Aura suddenly shattered. Even if he had an opening, he was completely defenseless. All he had now was his sword and a prayer, still if this was where he went down, he was going to go down swinging. It was with this thought that time seemed to slow down for Jaune as Weiss' strange new glyph appeared beneath his feet. Jaune's eyes widened when a light blue ethereal suit of armor appeared over his body, while a large ethereal sword encased Crocea.

" _What is this!? A new transformation?"_ Jaune wondered in confusion before the image of a weeping Weiss flashed through his mind. _"No…this doesn't even feel like armor."_ Jaune thought as instead of a suit of armor covering his body, he imagined Weiss embracing from behind. _"No this is something much stronger."_ Jaune thought as he glared at Adam before the visor of his helmet shut over his eyes. This sight alone was enough to make Adam snap.

He had it!

This was the last straw!

"Why won't you just die!? Why must you Arcs live while my people die!?" Adam shouted as he swung his blade at the bright armored form of Jaune, the markings on his clothes burning red. His increasing anger was palpable as Jaune raised his left armored hand and blocked the blade.

 _ ***CRASH***_

Adam's blow was powerful enough to shatter the armor on his left arm, but the armor was strong enough to knock the Faunus' blade back. Thinking quickly, Adam attacked him again only for him to block with his right arm now. The armor shattered as Adam's blade was repelled but Jaune maintained his grip on Crocea.

"Die!" Adam screamed in fury as he slammed the blade down on Jaune only for the hunter to lean back and let it slam into his chest plate, shattering his upper armor while Adam recoiled. Jaune went to deliver an Amaranth kick with his left leg only to have it parried by Adam's blade.

 _ ***CRASH!***_

Cursing, Jaune used the momentum to deliver an impromptu Ivy sweep with his right leg only for that to be parried as well.

 _ ***CRASH!***_

"Die already!" Adam said darkly as he went to stab Jaune through his heart only for the young Arc to slam his head into the blade, knocking it back down as his helmet shattered.

 _ **"NOW MASTER!"**_ Crocea Mors shouted as Jaune drew on as much of her power as he could.

"This is it!" Jaune shouted as he stepped forward and stabbed his blade forward just as Adam brought his back up

 _ ***SCHLICK!***_

 **BGM: END**

"I...impossible…my Aura…" Adam muttered as Crocea's glowing blade stabbed through his chest and exited his back.

"… _ **Was delicious."**_ Crocea muttered. Adam had been so focused on fighting Jaune that he hadn't noticed Crocea Mors eating away at his Aura as the fight went on. Blood poured from Adam's mouth as he gave a rueful smile, an image of Blake flashing through his mind for a moment.

"At least…At least I took an Arc down with me." Adam gasped out as Jaune coughed up blood due to the sword that was buried in his chest. "M-My people…w-will remember me…I. With your blood on my hands I will be a martyr to them; this will be the spark to incite change."

"N-No…because there won't be anything left of you to r-remember." Jaune muttered tiredly confusing Adam.

"Wha-"

 _ ***FLASH!***_

 _ ***BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!***_

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Adam shouted as his body was completely engulfed by the blast which erupted from Jaune's blade… When the light died down there was no trace left of the revolutionary named Adam besides the sword sticking through Jaune's chest. Slowly Jaune stood up and looked up into the sky with a tired smile, his visioning darkening.

"" _ **Master!"**_ Crocea shouted as Jaune's grip went limp, his blade falling from his hand and stabbing into the ground. He had done it, he held the line and kept them all safe.

"This…this isn't such a bad end." Jaune mused as he shut his eyes.

Jaune Arc had died on his feet with a grin on his face.

 **+1 Title: Shining Knight**

 **+2 seals of enjoyment**

 **+300 AP**

 **+4,000,000 EXP**

 **Jaune Arc: Level 54!**

 **Weiss Schnee: Level 52!**

 **-Soul Stream-**

"You know, I've died far more times than I wish." Jaune mused as Nao shook her head at him as she approached.

"That world is only going to give you pain, why won't you go to your real home? Return to Erinn or even stay here with me?" Nao asked sadly making him tilt his head.

"Do I still have a destiny in Remnant? With how dramatic that end was, I doubt it…but do I?" Jaune asked making her face fall slightly as she glanced away from him, refusing to answer. "Well?"

"Yes…"

"Huh? Really? Wow that's a scary thought…but that means I can't leave them hanging just yet." Jaune said with a grin as he approached her. "It's not my time, not yet."

"Just….just please be safe it pains me to see any Millitian in pain, most of all you." Nao whispered before standing on her tip toes and pressing her lips to his, causing him to be engulfed with light before leaving her alone in the realm. Nao slowly fell to her knees and placed her face in her hands as she silently wept for the young man whom was ignorant to the heartache he was going to face in the future on Remnant.

 **-Schnee Manor-**

 _*Gasp*  
_

Jaune's eyes snapped open suddenly as he found himself being held tightly by a weeping Weiss. His mother crying openly as she held onto Arthur for support, a sight that was mirrored with Weiss' parents while Winter looked off to the side with a grimace. While the other party goers showed their own bit of sadness for his apparent death. Suddenly Weiss gasped when she felt a pair of strong arms wrap around her.

"J-Jaune?" Weiss asked incredulously as she looked up at the Knight whom was smiling down at her, this caught the attention of everyone else whom were now looking at him with varying degrees of shock. "H-How? Your aura…your _heart_ -"

"Hey now," Jaune said as he wipe done of her tears away with his thumb. "An Arc never goes back on his word." Jaune said making Arthur smirk. "Besides this is like the second time this has happened, perhaps I should add resurrection to my list of hobbies." Jaune chuckled before getting smacked by Weiss.

"Don't joke about this you idiot you had me terrified…I thought you were dead…I thought you had left me…"Weiss said the last part quietly as she held him tighter making his expression soften as he rubbed her back.

"As long as you need me Weiss, I'll always be there for you. That's just the kind of person I am." Jaune said as his mother began crying tears of joy while cursing his father's DNA. Arthur simply held onto his wife as he gave his son a bright grin, never had that man thought it was possible to feel as proud as he did in that moment. Deep down he knew it, he knew his son was just like him in the sense that he had to find his own way to be a warrior that was best for him. Arthur chuckled at the amount of times his mother had called him a failure in his youth for his inability to learn how to fight from her.

Now he knew how she felt the moment he first showed his worth.

Arthur made sure Jaune saw how proud he was before his smile dropped as he glanced to the side at the spot where Adam was vanquished. It was there where he saw a single black feather resting on the fabric. Its power drained, the feather simply turned to dust as he narrowed his eyes while he imagined a black winged goddess.

" _So it finally begins…eh Morrighan?"_ Arthur mused as he realized that the goddess had to have been the reason for Adam's sudden spike in power.

"Dad…" Jaune called out, still holding on to Weiss as he got Arthur's attention. The look on his face showed nothing but frustration but not towards what had happened tonight but rather at himself. Every battle he had won had been the result of team work or his transformation. Hell, the only reason he survived Arisha was due to him having his aura.

Jaune shuddered as he imagined Arisha with _her_ aura unlocked.

He was still too weak.

" _If I can't protect myself with my own power…then what good am I?"_ Jaune thought as he clenched his fist. "When I come home after the festival and we train please…"Jaune began making Weiss look up at him in confusion as she wiped her eyes. "…teach me." Jaune said making Arthur's smile drop as he saw the resolve in his son's eyes.

"Teach you what?"

" _Everything."_

 **-The Next Morning: Beacon-**

Jaune and his friends were eating at the table having a joyful conversation. Not much seemed to change except that now Jaune found himself sitting between Pyrrha and Weiss, which wasn't strange as that seating arrangement tended to happen some days…but for some reason he felt as though this was not a temporary thing.

"So how did everything go for you two last night? Get everything settled? You two came back really late, looking exhausted…didn't do anything I would do did you lady killer?" Yang questioned making her friends roll their eyes at her attitude.

"More people showed up than we expected so we got a little side tracked, but yes you brute we did get everything 'settled'." Weiss drawled making Yang pout.

"Aw that's boring." Yang said before continuing her meal while Jaune was grateful for Weiss' ability to hide the truth with the truth. Their wounds had healed up nicely, he had some faint scars left but nothing anyone would be able to see with his clothes on and even if they weren't they have to be far too close for comfort to actually spot them. All in all, he was confident he could keep what happened a secret.

Though he would have to explain the golden Arc emblem tattooed on his right shoulder but that was another day's problem. Right now, life was back to normal after all…

" _What's the worst that could happen?"_ Jaune mused before pausing mid bite as the cafeteria T.V.'s suddenly turned to the Vale News Network.

["Hello, as always I am Lisa Lavender here bringing you breaking news of a crisis that occurred last night in Atlas. Last night, myself and my cameraman were invited to the Schnee' Dust Company to celebrate the eventual Union between the heir to house Arc and the Heiress to the SDC. However, after pleasantries and a delightful dance from the love-birds, the mansion as attacked by the White Fang! The damage was horrifying and the loss of life was high. Luckily, the only lives lost were that of the terrorists thanks to the combined efforts of the Arcs and the SDC heiresses."]

" _Oh dear God no."_ Jaune thought in horror as he and Weiss shared a terrified glance while Pyrrha's glass shattered in her grip.

["I will now show the battle from beginning to end but I warn you, the images will not be suitable for all audiences, but I will say that this nightmare did have a happy ending, one I was able to get on film with the young heir and heiress were not paying attention."] Lisa continued as screen began to show the battle from the point where Winter had drawn her weapon. ["The CEO of the SDC has announced this morning that nothing was changed by this and that his daughter and our newest hero whom has been making waves upon entering Beacon will have their wedding this summer as planned. The SDC stocks have since gone through the roof as Humanity as a whole wonders what this powerful union could mean in the future. Particularly with relations between Atlas and Vale."

At this point both Jaune and Weiss were stealthily trying to exit the room when a firm hand was felt on both of their shoulders. The grip was strong enough to make them whimper slightly as they glanced back to see a smiling Pyrrha standing behind him.

"Now where are you two off to? Come let's watch this with the others."

Both Jaune and Weiss silently wept as they were dragged back to the table.

Dark days were clearly upon them.

 **-Later: Rocheste: Bar-**

"The kid shows promise, definitely can't wait to see what becomes of him after he graduates." Vella said as she watched the news stream on Fiona's scroll with the Crimson Blades. Her lips curled up fondly when she saw Winter. "And it seems my old partner has grown up to be quite the woman." Vella purred. "I wonder if her sister will surpass her like she suspected though?"

"Only time will tell, these kids just keep getting weirder." Fiona said with a smile.

"I don't care what mother says, she still must impress me." Arisha muttered as she watched the stream from her scroll before frowning. "Sister."

"Yes, Ari?"

"A thought."

"What is it?" Fiona asked with a frown as Arisha raised her scroll.

"We both got the news alert on our scrolls which instantly sent us to this video, correct?" Arisha questioned making Fiona look at her in confusion.

"Yeah, why?"

"You wouldn't have happened to have turned that function _off_ before giving Delia her's would you?" Arisha questioned, a bead of sweat sliding down her face while Fiona paled before glancing at a clock and realizing that Delia should have returned from her mission _hours_ ago.

"Oh God _damn_ it!" Fiona cursed as she pushed out her chair and quickly ran for the exit with Arisha right behind her, leaving a group of stunned Crimson Blades behind them.

"Hey, Karok…you're Del's partner and her best friend…" Vella began getting the huge man's attention feeling suddenly scared for her friend's sister. "What's the chance snowflake survives?"

"Ha!" Karok released booming laugh as he wiped a tear from his eye, pausing when he noticed the horrified expression on Vella's face "Oh, you were serious. Girl is dead."

… **Auto-Saving…**

 **Next Level: Twins Reunion**

 **Reviews:**

 **EK12: Pretty much, yup and with this update I've reached that point where it was left off. Also, out of the previously posted chapters, this one has the most changes/additions.**

 **I Want To Die69: Glad you like it!**

 **AJ Lexie: Yup that same guy, lol glad you enjoyed the chapter! And yeah its ominous :D**

 **Najdrox: Lmao thank you, bet it's only going to be worse after this.**

 **Quadredurudoubleslash2: -Death glare- how dare you-eh fuck it. Half the people here don't read ANs and don't realize that I'm not Rebuke or male XD. Best believe he's been laughing his ass off at that too, but to answer your question this will be considered a LIAG despite the title.**

 **Shunshinking: Glad you liked it so much!**

 **Dark Durian: Yeah this chapter was a wake-up call for him, he's going to want to train even harder now that he has a complete understanding of just what kind of future he'll be having. Delia…it' going to be an interesting reunion.**

 **Duskrider: Glad you liked it! Minor changes I'm making, but sometimes it the little things that make a fic.**

 **NinjaFang1331: Glad you liked it and of course if Ruby is a Dark Knight then Weiss has to go Paladin.**

 **Killjoy Funny Man: Glad you liked the chapter, hopefully you enjoy this one too.**

 **Stonecold: Always pleased to help, glad you enjoyed it! Have a great day/night as well.**

 **Charmeloen80: It's a complete rewrite/updated version.**

 **~Read and Review and stay Beautiful**

 **RebuffX7**


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